THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


MEH    LADY 


iMARSE    CHAN 

A      TALE     OF    OLD     VIRGINIA 

Bv  THOMAS  NELSON  I'AGE 

Illustrated  by 

W.    T.    SMEDLEY 

Small  quarto,  $1.50 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/mehladystoryofwaOOpage 


Wc  claim  )io  kinsmen  among   I  'irginia\s    enemies,'  saj's 
Meh  Ladyr  ' 


>      >      ^      ^      MEH    LADY 

A    STORY    OF    THE     WAR         ^ 
BY     THOMAS     NELSON     PAGE 

ILLUSTRATED    BY  C.    S.    REINHART 


CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
NEW    YORK,    1893       ^       ^       ^ 


Copyright,  1887,  1893,  by 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons 


TROW   DIRECTORY 
NG  AND  BOOKBINDING  COMPAN 
NEW  YORK 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

""  'Wc  claim  no  kinsmen  among  ]lrginias  enemies^ 

says    ]\Ic/i    Lady.''  Frontispiece. 

*'  S/ic  say  s/ic  ain'  hcgrndgc  /ii)n,  but  sJic  love  him 

so    muchr  Page  8. 

"  She  talk  mighty  sorf  but  mighty  'terminated  likeT 

Page  II. 

*'  Oh  /  she  snfn'y  did  pomper  him,  readin^   to  him 
oiLt  d  books,  an'  set  tin  by  him  on  de  pdeh." 

Page  27. 

''An'  he  wnz  holdin'  her  hand,  talk  in'  right  stndy." 

Page  33. 

'''An  sometimes  I'd  bring  de  mtile  for  her  to  ride 
home  ef  she  been  up  de  nigJit  befd  zuid Mistis." 

Page  46. 

"  Go    'zuay,    Marster,    who  gzvine    name    gent' man 
after  a  ole  nigger  f  "  Page  70. 


603170 


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MEH  LADY 

A  Story  of  the  War 

ON'  dat  Phil  go  'stracted  when   he  gits  a 
pike  on  de  een  o'  dis  feller  !  " 

The  speaker  was  standing  in  the  dog- 
wood bushes  just  below  me,  for  I  was  on  the  embank- 
ment, where  the  little  foot-path  through  the  straggling 
pines  and  underbrush  ran  over  it.  He  w^as  holding 
in  his  hand  a  newly-peeled  cedar  fishing-pole,  while  a 
number  more  lay  in  the  path  at  the  foot  of  the  old 
redoubt. 

I  watched  him  for  a  moment  in  silence,  and  then 
said  : 

'*  Hello  !    Uncle,  what  are  you  doing  ?  " 

"  Gittin'  fishin'-poles  for  de  boys,  suh,"  he  an- 
swered promptly  and  definitely.  "  We's  spectin' 
'em  soon."      Then  he  added  confidentially  : 

"  Dee   won'    have    none    from   nowhar   else  at   all, 


2  Meh  Ladr 

suh  ;  dee  done  heah  dee  ma  tell  how  Marse  Phil  used 
to  git  poles  right  heah  'pon  dis  heah  ridge,  an'  dee 
oon'  fling  a  line  wid  nay  urr  sort  o'  pole  at  all.  Dat 
Phil  he  mo'  like  Marse  Phil  dan  he  like  he  pa; 
sometimes  I  think  he  Alarse  Phil  done  come  back 
agin  — he's  he  ve'y  spi't  an'  image." 

"Who  are  the  boys.?"  I  asked,  taking  a  seat  on 
the  moss-covered  breastwork. 

"Hi!  we  all's  boys — Meh  Lady's.  De  fish  run- 
nin'  good  now,  an'  dee'll  be  heah  toreckly.  Dee  up 
in  New  York  now,  but  me  an'  Hannah  got  a  letter 
from  'em  yistidy.  You  cyarn'  keep  'em  dvah  long 
after  fish  'gins  to  run  ;  no  suh,  dat  you  cyarn'.  Dat 
Phil,  I  boun',  studyin'  'bout  dis  pole  right  now." 
A  short  laugh  of  delight  followed  the  reflection. 

"  How  many  are  there  ^.  " 

"Fo'  on 'em,  suh,  wid  de  little  gal,  an'  she  jes'  like 
Meh  Lady  wuz  at  her  age,  tryin'  to  keep  up  wid  her 
brurrs,  an'  do  ev'ything  dee  do.  Lord  !  suh,  hit 
cyars  me  back  so  sometimes,  I  mos'  furgit  de  ain' 
nuver  been  no  war  nor  nuttin'.  Yes,  suh,  dee  tu'ns 
de  house  upside  down  when  dee  comes,  jes'  like 
Marse  Phil  an'  jSIeh  Lady.  Um — m  !  [making  that 
peculiar  sound  so  indescribably  suggestive],  dee  used 
to  jes'  teoh  de  wuU  to  pieces.      You  see,  after  Marse 


Meh  Lady  ? 

Jeems  die'  an'  lef  Mistis  heah  wid  jes'  dem  two,  she 
used  to  gi'  'em  dee  head,  an'  dee  all  over  de  planta- 
tion. Meh  Lady  (de  little  white  Mistis,)  in  her 
little  white  apron  wid  her  curls  all  down  in  her  eyes, 
used  to  look  white  'mong  dem  urr  chil'ns  as  a  clump 
o'  blackberry  blossoms  'mong  de  blackberries.  I 
don'  keer  what  Hannah  do  wid  dat  hyah  it  wouldn' 
lay  smoove.  An'  her  eyes  !  I  b'lieve  she  laugh  mo' 
wid  'em  'n  wid  her  mouf.  She  wuz  de  light  o'  dis 
plantation  !  When  she'd  come  in  you'  house  'twuz 
like  you'd  shove  back  de  winder  an'  let  piece  o'  de 
sun  in  on  de  flo' — you  could  almos'  see  by  her  !  An' 
Marse  Phil,  he  used  to  wyah  her  !  I  don'  keer  whar 
you  see  one,  dyah  turr,  she  lookin'  up  at  him,  pushin' 
her  hyah  back  out  her  big  brown  eyes,  an'  tryin'  to 
do  jes'  what  he  do.  When  Marse  Phil  went  byah- 
footed,  she  had  to  go  byah-footed  too,  an'  she'd  toller 
him  down  to  the  mill-pond  th'oo  briers  an'  ev'ywhar, 
wid  her  little  white  foots  scratchin'  an'  gittin'  briers 
in  em ;  but  she  ain'  mine  dat  so  he  ain'  lef  her, 
Dat's  de  way  'twuz,  spang  tell  Marse  Phil  went  to 
college,  or  you  jes'  as  well  say,  tell  he  went  in  de 
army,  cause  he  home  ev'y  Christmas  an'  holiday  all 
de  time  he  at  de  univusity,  an'  al'ays  got  somebody 
or  nurr  wid  him.      You  cyarn'  keep  bees  'way  after 


4  Meh  Lady 

dee  fine  he  honeysuckle  bush,  an'  dem  young  bucks 
dee  used  to  be  roun'  her  constant.  Hit  look  like  ef 
she  drap  her  hankcher  hit  teck  all  on  em'  to  pick 
't  up.  Dee  so  perseverin'  (Mr.  Watkins  spressly), 
I  tell  Hannah  I  specks  one  on  'em  gwine  be  Mis- 
tis'  son-in-law;  but  Hannah  say  de  chile  jes'  'joyin' 
herself  an'  projeckin'  wid  em,  an'  ain'  love  none  on 
'em  hard  as  Marse  Phil.  An'  so  'twuz  !  Hannah 
know.  Her  cap'n  ain'  come  yit !  When  dee  cap'n 
come  dee  knows  it,  an'  ef  dee  don'  know  it  when  he 
come,  dee  know  it  p'intedly  when  he  go  'way. 

'^We  wuz  rich  den,  quarters  on  ev'y  hill,  an'  nig- 
gers mo'  'n  you  could  tell  dee  names  ;  dee  used  to 
be  thirty  cradlers  in  de  harves'-fiel'  an'  binders  mo'  'n 
you  kin  count. 

"Den  Marse  Phil  went  in  de  war.  You  wuz  too 
young  to  know  'bout  dat,  marster?  Say  you  wuz? 
Dat's  so  I  "  (This  in  ready  acquiescence  to  my  reply 
that  every  Southerner  knew  of  the  war.)  "  Well, 
hit  'peared  like  when  it  start  de  ladies  wuz  ambi- 
tiouser  for  it  mos'  'n  de  mens.  Um  !  dee  wuz  rank, 
sho'  'nough.  .  At  fust  dee  didn'  know  what  'twuz, 
hit  come  so  sudden. 

"  One  mornin'  I  was  standin'  right  by  de  po'ch, 
an'  Marse  Phil  ride  up  in  de  yard.      I   see  him   time 


Meh  Lady  5 

he  tunned  de  curve  o'  de  avenue  ;  I  knowed  he  seat, 
'cause  I  larn  him  to  ride :  dese  hands  set  him  up  on  de 
horse  fust  time  he  ever  tetch  de  saddle,  when  he  lit- 
tle fat  legs  couldn'  retch  to  de  little  skeurts.  Well, 
I  call  Mistis  an'  Meh  Lady,  an'  dee  come  out  jes'  as 
he  gallop  up  in  de  yard.  He  speak  to  me,  an'  run 
up  de  gre't  steps,  an'  Mistis  teck  him  right  in  her 
arms,  an'  helt  him  farst,  an'  when  she  le'  him  go  her 
face  look  mighty  cu'yu$  ;  an'  when  dee  went  into  de 
house  I  notice  Marse  Phil  right  smart  taller'n  he  wuz 
at  Christmas,  an'  he  han'  'em  in  stately  like  he  pa. 

"'Twuz  he  done  come  home  to  go  in  de  army,  an' 
he  done  stop  in  Richmon'  to  git  he  permission, 
'cause  he  feared  he  ma  oon'  let  him  go  bedout  dat ; 
an'  he  say,  Mr.  Watkins  an'  heap  o'  de  boys  done 
lef  an'  gone  home  to  raise  companies.  Mistis — 
Hannah  say — grieve  might'ly  when  tain'  nobody  see 
her,  an'  she  got  her  do'  locked  heap,  sayin'  her  prars 
for  him  ;  but  she  ain'  say  a  wud  'bout  he  goin',  she 
nor  Meh  Lady  nurr — dee  jes'  dat  ambitious  'bout  it. 
De  thorybreds  goes  wid  dee  heads  up  till  dee  drap, 
you  know. 

"  After  dat  you  ain'  see  nuttin'  but  gittin  ready ; 
cuttin'  an'  sewin',  an'  meckin'  tents,  an'  bandages,  an' 
uniforms,  an'  lint — 'twuz  wuss'n  when  dee  meckin'  up 


6  Meh  Lady 

de  folks'  winter  clo'es  !  an'  when  Marse  Phil  fetch  he 
s'o'de  home  an'  put  on  he  boots  an'  spurs  whar  I 
done  black,  an'  git  he  seat  on  Paladin,  twarn'  nay 
han'  on  de  place  but  what  say  Marse  Phil  'bieeged  to 
whup   em  if  dee  come  close  enough. 

"  Well,  so  he  went  off  to  de  war,  an'  Left-hand 
Torm  went  wid  him  to  wait  on  him  an'  ten'  to  de 
horses.  Mistis  an'  Meh  Lady  ain'  had  time  to  cry 
tell  dee  rid  roun'  de  curve,  an'  Marse  Phil  tu'n  an' 
wave  he  hat  to 'em  stan'in  dyah  on  de  po'ch ;  an'  den 
Mistis  tun  roun'  an'  walk  in  de  house  right  quick 
wid  her  mouf  wuckin',  an'  lock  herse'f  in  her  chamber, 
an'  Meh  Lady  set  down  on  the  steps,  right  in  de  sun, 
an'  cry  by  herse'f 

"  Dat  wuz  de  een  o'  de  ole  times,  an'  dem  whar  ain' 
nuver  had  dee  foots  to  git  'quainted  wid  de  ground 
wuz  stomped  down  in  de  dut. 

"Oh  !  yes,  suh,  he  come  back,"  said  he  presently, 
in  answer  to  a  question  from  me,  "  but  de  war  had 
been  gwine  on  for  mo'  n  a  year  befo'  he  did.  Heaps 
o'  urr  soldiers  used  to  come ;  dee'd  kiver  up  de  gre't 
road  an'  de  plantation  sometimes,  an'  eat  up  ev'ything 
on  de  place.  But  Marse  Phil  he  ain'  nuver  git 
home  ;  he  "bieeged  to  stay  to  keep  de  Yankeys  back; 
he  wid  Gener'l  Jackson,  an'   he  fightin'  all  de  time  ; 


Meh  Lad^y  7 

he  git  two  or  th'ee  balls  th'oo  he  clo'es  an'  he  cap — 
he  write  we  all  'bout  it;  two  bring  de  blood,  but 
not  much,  he  say,  dee  jes'  sort  o'  bark  him.  Oh! 
dee  wuz  jes'  p'intedly  notifyin'  him ;  ev'y  chance 
dee'd  git  deed  plump  at  him  cuz  he  de  main  man 
same  as  when  you'd  plump  at  de  middle  man.  But 
dat  ain'  pester  him,  chile  ! 

"  But  one  mornin'  when  we  ain'  heah  from  him 
in  long  time  an'  think  he  up  in  de  valley  wid 
Stonewall  Jackson,  Marse  Phil  ride  right  up  in  de 
yard,  an'  Mistis'  face  light  up  to  see  him  tell  she  look 
mos'  like  a  young  ooman.  He  say  he  ain'  got  long 
to  stay,  dat  de  army  gwine  down  de  big  road,  an'  he 
'bleeged  to  git  right  back  to  he  bat'ry — he  jes'  ride 
'cross  to  see  he  ma  an'  Meh  Lady  an'  all  on  us,  he  say, 
an'  he  mighty  hongry,  'cause  he  ain'  had  nuttin'  to 
eat  sense  early  de  day  befo',  an'  he  want  me  to  feed 
Paladin  at  de  rack.  An'  Meh  Lady,  chile  !  she  lef 
him  walkin'  'bout  in  de  house  wid  he  ma,  wid  he  arm 
roun'  her,  an'  twis'in'  he  mustache,  whar  showin'  lee- 
tle,  sense  he  sich  a  man,  an'  axin'  he  ma  don't  she 
think  it  a  fine  mustache,  dat  all  de  girls  say  'tis  ;  an' 
axin'  'bout  ev'ybody  ;  an'  she  come  out  an'  'tend  to 
gittin'  him  some'n'  to  eat  wid  her  own  hands,  an'  he 
sut'n'y  did  eat  hearty.     An'  den  he  come   way,  an'  he 


8  Meh  Lady 

stoop  down  an'  kiss  he  ma  an'  Meh  Lady,  an'  tell 
'em  he  gwine  to  be  a  cun'l  one  o'  dese  days  ;  an'  Mis- 
tis  she  ain'  able  to  say  nuttin',  she  jes'  look  at  him  wist- 
ful as  he  went  down  de  steps,  den  she  run  down  after 
him  an'  k-etch  him  after  he  git  on  de  groun',  an'  kiss  him 
an'  breck  out  cryin'.  She  say  she  ain'  begrudge  him, 
but  she  love  him  so  much.  He  kiss  her  mighty  sorf 
two  or  th'ee  times,  an'  den  she  let  him  go,  an'  he 
come  an'  git  on  he  horse  an'  rid  'way  at  a  gallop  out 
de  back  gate  wid  he  cap  on  de  side  he  head,  an'  dee 
went  in  de  house,  an'  dat  horse  warn'  go  up  to  de 
stable  right  den. 

"De  nex'  day  we  hear  de  cannons  'way  down  de 
country  jes'  like  thunder  right  study,  an'  Mistis  and 
Meh  Lady  dee  set  on  de  po'ch  an'  listen  to  'em  wid 
dee  face  mighty  solemn  all  day  long.  An'  dat  night 
'bout  de  fust  rooster-crow.  Left-hand  Torm  come 
home  on  de  gray,  an'  knock  at  Mistis'  winder,  an' 
say  Marse  Phil  done  shoot  in  de  breast,  an'  he  don't 
know  wherr  he  dead  or  not ;  he  say  he  warn'  dead 
when  he  come  'way,  but  de  doctor  wuz  wid  him,  an' 
he  had  done  sont  him  after  he  ma  to  come  to  him  at 
once,  an'  he  had  been  ridin'  hard  all  night  long  ever 
sence  jes'  befo'  sunset;  an'  Torm  say  he  bat'ry  wuz 
de  fust  on  de  groun',  an'  he  post  it  on  de  aidge  o'  de 


Meh  Lady  9 

woods  in  a  oat-fiel',  like  cradlers,  you  know,  an'  he 
drive  de  enemy  out  dee  breas'wucks,  an'  Torm  say 
he  see  him  when  he  lead  he  bat'ry  'cross  de  oat-fiel", 
he  guns  all  six  in  a  strainin'  gallop,  an'  he  and  Pala- 
din in  de  lead  cheerin',  wid  bullits  an'  shells 'hailin' 
all  roun'  him  ;  an'  he  wuz  de  fust  man  in  de  redoubt, 
Torm  say,  an'  he  fall  jes'  as  he  jump  he  horse  over,  an* 
den  he  lay  dyah  on  de  groun',  he  say,  an'  fight  he 
guns  tell  he  faint.  An'  Torm  say  de  gener'l  say  he'd 
ruther  been  Marse  Phil  fightin'  he  bat'ry  dat  day  den 
'a'  been  President  de  Confed'ate  States. 

*'  Well,  suh,  Mistis  she  had  jump  out  o'  bed  de 
fust  step  o'  Torm  in  de  yard ;  she  hadn'  even  teck 
oflF  her  clo'es,  an'  she  jes'  stand  still  like  she  ain'  heah 
good,  wid  her  face  lookin'  like  she  done  dead.  Meh 
Lady  she  tell  Torm  to  tell  me  to  git  de  kerridge  as 
soon  as  I  kin,  an'  to  tell  her  mammy  please  to  come 
dyah  quick. 

"An'  when  day  brek  I  wuz  standin'  at  de  gate  wid 
de  kerridge  ;  done  feed  my  horses  an'  a  good  bag  o' 
clean  oats  in  de  boot.  Mistis  she  come  out  wid 
Meh  Lady  an'  Hannah,  an'  her  face  sut'n'y  wuz  griev- 
ious.  I  ain'  know  tell  I  see  de  way  she  look  how  it 
hu't  her,  but  I  been  see  dead  folks  look  better'n  she 
look  den.     All  she  say  wuz : 


lo  Meh  Lady 

'' '  Try  an'  git  me  dyah,  Billy  ;'  an'  I  say,  '  Yes'm, 
I'm  gwine  to  ef  Gord'll  le'  me.'  I  did  get  her  dyah, 
too  ;    ef  I  didn'  meek  dem  horses  flinder  ! 

"  But  dead  mens  !  I  nuver  see  as  many  in  my  life 
as  I  see  dat  evenin'.  Amb'lances  an'  waggins  full  on 
'em,  an'  dem  whar  jes'  good  as  dead;  de  road  wuz 
chocked  up  wid  'em  !  Dee  all  know  Marse  Phil 
bat'ry  ;  dee  say  hit  de  fust  in  de  fight  yistidy  an'  it 
cut  all  to  pieces  ;  an'  pres'n'y  a  gent'man  whar  I  ax 
as  he  gallop  past  me  rein  up  he  horse  an'  say  he 
know  him  well,  an'  he  wuz  shot  yistidy  an'  left  on  de 
fiel'.  He  done  teck  off  he  cap  when  he  see  Mistis  an' 
Meh  Lady  in  de  kerridge,  an'  he  voice  drapt  mighty 
low,  an'  he  say  Marse  Phil  wuz  shot  'bout  fo'  o'clock 
leadin'  he  bat'ry,  an'  he  did  splendid  wuck. 

"  He  voice  sort  o'  passionate,  an'  he  face  so  piti- 
ful when  he  say  dat,  1  know  'tain'  no  hope  to  save 
him,  an'  ef  I  git  Mistis  dyah  in  time,  dat's  all. 

"  'Drive  on  quick',  says  Mistis,  an'  I  druv  on:  I 
done  meek  up  my  mine  to  git  she  an'  Meh  Lady  to 
Marse  Phil,  whar  I  'sponsible  for  dat  night,  ef  Gord'll 
le'  me.  An'  I  did,  too,  mon  !  I  see  de  soldiers  all 
'long  de  road  look  at  me,  an'  some  on  em  holler  to 
me  dat  I  cyarn'  go  dat  away  ;  but  I  ain'  pay  no  'ten- 
tion  to  'em,  I  jes'  push  on  ;   an'  pres'n'y  risin'  a  little 


"5//r  ta//:  mighty  sorf  but  mighty  ^terminated  likcT 


Meh  Lady  1 1 

ridge  I  see  de  house  de  gent'man  done  tell  me  'bout, 
settin'  in  de  oat-fiel'  bout  a  Haifa  mile  ahead,  an'  I 
jes'  pushin'  for  it,  when  thee  or  fo'  mens  standin' 
dyah  in  de  road  'yant  de  ridge,  a  little  piece  befo'  me, 
say,  '  Halt !  '  I  ain'  pay  no  'tention  to  'em,  jes'  drive 
on  so,  an'  dee  holler,  *Halt'  ag'in  ;  an'  when  I  ain' 
stop  den  nuther,  jes'  drive  on  right  study,  a  speckle- 
face  feller  run  up  an'  ketch  Remus'  head,  an'  anurr 
one  done  p'int  he  gun  right  at  me.  I  say,  '  Whynt' 
you  le'  go  de  horse,  mon!  ain'  you  got  no  better  sense'n 
to  ketch  holt  Mistis'  horses  ?  Juc'icin'  dat  horse'  mouf 
dat  way  !    Le'  go  de  horse'  head,  don'  vou  heah  me  ? ' 

"  I  clar  !  ef  I  warn'  dat  outdone,  I  wuz  jes'  'bout  to 
wrop  my  whrup  roun'  him,  when  Mistis  open  de  do' 
an'  step  out.  She  say  she  wan'  go  on  ;  dee  say  she 
cyarn'  do  it ;  den  she  say  she  gwine  :  dat  her  son 
dying'  dyah  in  dat  house  an'  she  gwine  to  him.  She 
talk  mighty  sorf  but  mighty  terminated  like.  Dee 
sort  o'  reason  wid  her.  but  she  jes'  walk  on  by  wid 
her  head  up,  an'  tell  me  to  foller  her.  an'  dat  I  did, 
mon  !  an'  lef  em  dyah  in  de  road  holdin'  dee  ole 
gun.  De  whole  army  couldn'  a'  keep  her  fum  Marse 
Phil  not  den. 

"  I  got  to  de  house  toreckly  an'  drive  up  nigh  as 
I   could   fur  de  gre't  trenches  'cross  de  yard,    whar 


12  Melt  Lady 

look  like  folks  been  ditchin'.  A  gent'man  come  to 
de  do',  an'  Mistis  ax,  'Is  he  'live  yet?'  He  say, 
*  Yes,  still  alive;'  an'  she  say,  'Where?'  an'  went 
right  in  an'  Meh  Lady  wid  her ;  an'  I  heah  say  he 
open  he  eyes  as  she  went  in,  an'  sort  o'  smile,  an' 
when  she  kneel  down  an'  kiss  him  he  whisper  he  ready 
to  go  den,  an'  he  wuz,  too. 

"  He  went  dat  night  in  he  mother'  arms,  an'  Meh 
Lady  an'  Hannah  at  he  side,  like  I  tole  'em  I  was 
gwine  do  when  I  start  fum  home  dat  mornin',  an'  he 
wuz  jes'  as  peaceful  as  a  baby.  He  tole  he  ma  when 
he  wuz  dyin'  dat  he  had  try  to  do  he  duty,  an'  dat  'twuz 
jes'  like  ole  times,  when  he  used  to  go  to  sleep  in  her 
lap  in  he  own  room,  wid  her  arms  roun'  him.  Mis- 
tis sen'  me  fur  a  ambiance  dat  night,  an'  we  put 
him  in  de  coffin  next  mornin'  an'  start,  'cause  Mistis 
she  gwine  cyar  Marse  Phil  home  an'  lay  him  in  de 
gyardin,  whar  she  kin  watch  him. 

"  We  travel  all  day  an'  all  night,  an'  retch 
home  bout  sunrise,  an'  den  we  had  to  dig  de 
grave. 

"An'  when  we  got  home  Mistis  she  had  de  coffin 
brought  in,  and  cyared  him  in  he  own  room  while  we 
waitin',  and  she  set  in  dyah  all  day  long  wid  him,  and 
he  look  like  a  boy  sleepin'  dyah  so  young  in  he  little 


Meh  Lady  i^ 

gray  jacket  wid  he  s'o'de  'cross  he  breas'.  We  bury 
him  in  de  gyardin  dat  evenin',  and  dyah  warn'  'nough 
gent'mens  lef  in  de  county  to  be  he  pall-bearers,  so 
de  hands  on  de  place  toted  him.  And  it  ease'  me 
mightly  to  git  meh  arm  onder  him  right  good,  like 
when  he  wuz  a  little  chap  runnin'  'roun'  callin'  me 
'  Unc'  Billy,'  and  pesterin'  me  to  go  fishin'.  And  de 
gener'l  write  Mistis  a  letter  and  say  de  Confede'cv 
moan  he  loss,  and  he  done  meek  him  a  cun'l  in  de 
oat-fiel'  de  day  he  wuz  shot,  and  hit's  dat  on  he  tomb- 
stone now;  you  kin  go  dyah  in  de  gyardin  an'  read  it. 

"  And  we  hang  he  s'o'de  on  de  wall  in  he  own  room 
over  de  fireplace,  and  dyah  it  hang  now  for  to  show 
to  de  boys  what  a  soldier  he  wuz. 

"  Well,  after  dat,  things  sut'n'y  went  bad.  De 
house  looked  dat  lonesome  I  couldn'  byah  to  look  at 
it;  ev'ything  I  see  look'  like  Marse  Phil  jes'  done 
put  it  down,  or  jes'  comin'  after  it. 

"  Mistis  and  Meh  Lady  dee  wuz  in  deep  mo'nin', 
of  cose,  and  it  look  like  de  house  in  mo'nin',  too. 
And  Mistis  her  hyah  got  whiter  and  whiter.  De  on'y 
thing  'peared  to  gi'  her  any  peace  o'  mine  wuz  settin' 
in  Marse  Phil'  room.  She  used  to  set  dyah  all  day, 
sewin'  for  de  soldiers.  She  ain'  nuver  let  nobody 
tetch  dat  room  ;   hit  al'avs  sort  o'  secret  to  her  after 


14  Meh  Ladv 

dat.      And  Meh  Lady  she  took  holt  de  plantation,  an' 
ole  Billy  wuz  her  head  man. 

"  Dat's  de  way    twuz  for  two  years  tell  mos'  in  de 
summer.      Den — 

"  Hit  happen  one  Sunday  :  I  wuz  jes'  come  out 
meh  house  after  dinner,  gwine  to  de  stable.  1  warn' 
studyin'  'bout  Yankeys,  I  wuz  jes'  studyin'  'bout 
how  peaceable  ev'ything  wuz,  when  I  heah  somebody 
hollerin',  and  heah  come  two  womens  cross  de  hill 
from  de  quarters,  hard  as  dee  could  tyah,  wid  dee 
frocks  jes'  flying.  One  o'  de  maids  in  de  yard  de 
first  to  ketch  de  wud,  an'  she  say,  '  De  Yankeys  ! 
And  fo'  Gord  !  de  wuds  warn'  out  her  mouf  befo'  de 
whole  top  o'  de  hill  wuz  black  wid  em.  Yo'  could 
see  'em  gallopin'  and  heah  de  s'o'des  rattlin'  spang 
at  de  house.  Meh  heart  jump  right  up  in  meh  mouf 
But  I  step  back  in  meh  house  and  got  meh  axe.  And 
when  I  come  out,  de  black  folks  wuz  all  run  out  dee 
houses  in  de  back  yard,  talkin'  and  predictifyin';  and 
some  say  dee  gwine  in  de  house  and  stan'  behin' 
Meh  Lady  ;  and  some  say  dee  gwine  git  onder  de 
beds  ;  and  some  wuz  pacifyin'  'em,  and  sayin',  dee  ain' 
gwi'  do  nuttin'.  I  jes'  parse  long  by  'em  right  quick, 
and  went  'cross  de  yard  to  de  house,  and  I  put  meh 
head  in  Marse  Phil'  room  whar  dee  settin',  and  say  : 


Meh  Lady  13 

"  'De  Yankeys  yander  comin'  down  de  hill.' 
"You  ought  to 'a'  seen  dee  face.  Meh  Lady' 
hands  drapt  in  her  lap,  an'  she  looked  at  Mistis  so 
anxious,  she  skeer'  me.  But  do'  Mistis'  face  tu'n 
mighty  white,  't  warn'  mo'  'n  a  minute.  She  riz 
right  quiet,  and  her  head  wuz  jes'  as  straight  as  Meh 
Lady.    She  says  to  her  : 

"  '  Hadn'  you  better  stay  here  ?  ' 
"  *  No,'  says  she,  'I  will  go  with  you.' 
"  '  Come  on,'  says  she,  and  dee  walked  out  de  do', 
and  locked  it  behine  her,  and  Mistis  put  de  key  in 
her  pocket. 

"Jes'  as  she  got  dyah,  dee  rid  into  de  yard,  an'  in 
a  minute  it  wuz  jes'  as  full  on  'em  as  a  bait-go'd  is  o' 
wurrms,  ridin'  'ginst  one  anurr,  an'  hoUerin'  an' 
laughin'  an'  cussin';  an'  outside  de  yard,  an'  todes  de 
stables,  dee  wuz  jes'  swarmin'.  Dee  ain'  ax  nobody  no 
odds  'bout  nuttin',  an'  as  to  key,  dee  ain'  got  no  use 
fur  dat ;  jes'  bu'st  a  do'  down  quicker'n  you  kin 
onlock  it.  Dee  wuz  in  dee  smoke-house  an'  de  store- 
room quicker'n  I  been  tellin'  you  'bout  it.  But  dat 
ain'  'sturb  Mistis,  nor  Meh  Lady  nurr.  Dee  wuz 
standin'  in  de  front  do'  jes'  as  study  as  ef  dee  wuz 
waitin'  fur  somebody  whar  come  to  dinner.  Dee  come 
pourin'  up  de  steps  an'  say  dee  gwine  th'oo  de  house. 


1 6  Meh  Lady 

'*  'There  is  no  one  in  there,'  said  Mistis. 

"  '  What  you  doin'  on  de  po'ch  ?  '  says  one,  sort  o' 
impident  like,  wid  a  thing  on  he  shoulder. 

'*  '  I  always  receive  my  visitors  at  my  front  do',' 
says  Mistis. 

"'Don't  you  invite  'em  in  .^  '  says  he,  sort  o' 
laughin'  an'  pushin'  bv  her.  Jes'  den  I  heah  a  noige, 
an'  we  tun  roun',  an'  de  hall  wuz  right  full  on  'em — • 
done  come  in  de  back  do'.  Mistis  tunned  right  roun' 
an'  walk  into  de  house  right  quick,  puttin'  Meh 
Lady  long  befo'  her.  Right  straight  th'oo  'em  all 
she  walk,  an'  up  to  Marse  Phil'  room  do',  whar  she 
Stan'  wid  her  back  'g'inst  it,  holdin'  de  side.  Dee 
wuz  squandered  all  ov^er  de  house  by  dis  time  an' 
teckin'  ev'ything  dee  want  an'  didn'  want,  an'  what 
dee  didn'  teck  dee  wuz  cuttin'  up.  But  soon  as  dee 
see  Mistis  at  Marse  Phil  do',  dee  come  right  up  to 
her. 

"  '  I  want  to  go  in  dyah,'  says  one — de  same  one 
whar  done  spoke  so  discontemptious  to  de  Mistis  on 
de  po'ch. 

"  '  You  cyarn'  do  it,'  says  Mistis. 

"  '  Well,  I'm  goin'  to,'  says  he. 

"  '  You  are  not,'  says  Mistis,  lookin'  at  him  right 
study,  wid  her  head  up  an'  her  eyes  blazin'.      I  had 


Meh  Lady  ij 

my  axe  in  my  han',  an'  I  wuz  mighty  skeered,  but  I 
know  et  he  had  lay  his  han'  on  de  Mistis  I  was  gwine 
split  him  wide  open.  He  know  better'n  to  tetch  her, 
do\  He  sort  o'  parly,  like  he  warn'  swade  her,  an* 
all  de  urrs  stop  an'  listen. 

"'  *  Who's  in  dyah  ?  '   says  he. 

"  'No  one,'  says  Mistis. 

'*  '  Well,  what's  in  dyah  ?  '   says  he. 

"  '  The  memory  of  my  blessed  dead,'  says  Mistis. 
She  speak  so  solemn,  hit  'peared  to  kind  o  stall  him, 
an'  he  give  back  an'  mumble  some'n'.  Pres'n'y  do' 
anurr  one  come  up  fum  nigh  de  do'  an'  say  to  Mistis: 

"  '  Where  is  you'  son  ?      We  want  him.' 

"  '  Beyond  your  reach,'  says  Alistis,  her  voice  kine 
o'  breakin',  an'  Meh  Lady  bust  out  cryin'. 

"  '  His  grave  is  in  de  gyardin','  she  says,  wid  her 
hankcher  to  her  eyes. 

"  Gord  !  suh  !  I  couldn'  stan'  no  mo'.  I  jes'  cotch 
a  grip  on  my  axe,  an'  I  ain'  know  what  mout  a'  hap- 
pen', but  he  teck  off  he  hat  an'  tu'n  way.  An'  jes' 
den  sich  a  racket  riz  nigh  de  do',  I  thought  must  be 
some  on  'em  got  to  killin'  one  'nurr.  I  heah  some- 
body's voice  rahin'  an'  pitchin'  and  callin'  'em  thieves 
an'  hounds,  an'  in  a  minute,  whack,  whack,  thump, 
thump,  I  heah  de  licks  soun'  like  hittin"  on  barrel- 


i8  Meh  Lady 

head,  an'  I  see  a  so'de  flyin'  like  buggy-wheel 
spokes,  an'  de  men  in  de  hall  dee  jes'  squander;  an' 
as  de  larst  one  jump  off  de  po'ch,  a  young  gent'man 
tunned  an'  walked  in  de  do',  puttin'  he  s'o'de  back  in 
he  scabbard.  When  he  got  t  in,  he  teck  off  he  cap, 
an'  walkin'    bout  half-way  up  to  we  all,  he  say  : 

"  *  I  kinnot  'pologize  'nough,  madam,  for  dese  out'- 
ages  ;  dee  officers  ought  to  be  shot  for  toleratin'  it. 
It  is  against  all  orders.' 

"'I  don't  know;  it  is  our  first  speeyence,'  says 
Mistis.  '  We  are  much  ondebted  to  you,  though, 
suh.' 

"  'Mayn't  I  interduce  myself?  '  says  he,  comin'  up 
a  little  closer  to  we  all,  an'  meckin'  anurr  bow  very 
grand.  '  I  think  I  may  claim  to  be  a  kinsman  at 
least  of  dis  my  young  Southern  cousin  here,'  (meckin' 
a  bow  to  Meh  Lady  whar  wuz  standin'  lookin'  at 
him);  'I'm  a  half  Virginian  myself:  I  am  Captain 
Wilton,  the  son  of  Colonel  Churchill  Wilton,  of  de 
ole  army,'  says  he. 

"  '  It  is  impossible,'  says  Mistis,  bowin'  low'n 
him.  '  Churchill  Wilton  was  a  Virginian,  do'  he  lived 
at  de  Norf;  he  wuz  my  husband's  cousin  an'  my 
dear  friend.'  (He  come  from  New  York  or  some- 
whar,  an'  he  had  been  co'tin'  JVlistis  same  time  Mars- 


Meh  Lady  19 

ter  co't  her.  I  know  him  well:  he  gi'  me  a  yal- 
ler  satin  weskit ;  a  likely  gent'man  too,  but  Mars- 
ter  beat  him.  You  know  he  gwine  do  dat.)  'But 
you  cannot  be  his  son,  nor  aMrginian;  Virginians 
never  invade  Virginia,'  says  Mistis. 

"  '  But  I  am,  neverdeless,'  says  he,  sort  o'  smilin'; 
'  an'  I  have,  as  a  boy,  often  hear'  him  speak  of  you 
as  our  kinsmen.' 

"  '  We  claim  no  kinsmen  among  \'irginia's  ene- 
mies,' says  Meh  Lady,  speakin'  fur  de  fust  time, 
wid  her  eyes  flashin',  an'  teckin'  holt  of  Mistis'  han', 
an'  raisin'  herse'f  up  mighty  straight.  She  wuz 
standin'  by  her  ma,  I  tell  you  ;  dee  bofe  had  de  same 
sperit — de  chip  don'  fly  fur  fum  de  stump.  But  he 
wuz  so  likely-lookin',  standin'  dyah  in  de  gre't  hall 
meckin'  he  bow,  an'  sayin'  he  Cap'n  Wilton  ob  de 
ole  army,  I  mos'  think  she'd  'a'  gi'n  in  ef  it  hadn' 
been  fur  dat  blue  uniform  an'  dat  so  de  by  he  side. 
De  wud  seemed  to  hut  him  mons'ous  do',  an'  he  raise 
he  head  up  mighty  like  we  all  folks  when  dee  gittin'  out- 
done. Mistis,  she  add  on  to  Meh  Lady,  an'  answer 
he  "quest  "bout  dinner.  Ez  he  had  come  to  teck  pos- 
session, says  she,  de  whole  place  wuz  his,  an'  he 
could  give  what  orders  he  please,  on'y  she  an'  Meh 
Lady  would  'quest  to  be  excused,  an'  wid  dat  she  took 


20  Meh  Ladv 

Meh  Lady'  han',  an'  wid  a  gre't  bow  done  start  to 
sweep  by  him.  But  dee  ain'  git  ahead  o'  him;  befo' 
dee  git  de  wuds  out  dee  mouf,  he  meek  a  low  bow 
hisse'f  an'  say,  he  beg  dee  pardin,  he  cyarn'  intrude 
on  ladies,  an'  wid  dat  he  sort  o'  back  right  stately  to 
de  front  do',  an'  wid  anurr  bow  done  gone,  he  saber 
clam'rin  down  de  steps.  I  clar',  I  wuz  right  sorry 
fur  him,  an'  I  b'lieve  Mistis  an'  Meh  Lady  dee  wuz 
too,  'cause  he  sut'n'v  did  favor  Marse  Phil  when  he 
r'ar  he  head  up  so  tall,  an'  back  out  dat  do'  so  gran', 
Meh  Lady  mine  smite  her  good,  cause  she  tu'n  to  me 
an'  tell  me  to  go  an'  tell  'Lijah  to  see  ef  he  couldn' 
git  him  some'n',  an'  call  him,  an'  pres'n'y  she  come 
in  de  dinin'-room  lookin'  herse'f  After  'Lijah  set 
de  place  do',  an'  went  out  to  look  fur  him,  dyah  wuz 
a  soldier  standin'  at  ev'y  po'ch  right  solum,  an'  anurr 
one  at  de  kitchin  ;  an'  when  we  come  to  fine  out,  dee 
wuz  guards  Cap'n  Wilton  done  pos'  dyah  to  p'teck 
de  house,  but  kc  done  gone  long,  so  I  give  he  snack 
to  de  guards. 

"Well,  dee  teck  mos'  all  de  corn,  dat  our  folks 
done  lef,  out  de  corn-house,  an'  after  a  while  mos' 
on  'em  bridle  up  an'  went  long,  an'  den  at  larst  de 
guards  dee  went  'long  'hind  de  turrs  ;  an'  de  larst 
one  hadn'  hardly  got  to  de  een  de  avenue  when  heah 


Meh  Lady  21 

come  over  de  hill  some  o'  our  mens  ridin'  long  de 
road  fum  turr  wav.  Meh  Lady  wuz  standin'  in  de 
yard  looking  mighty  'strustid  at  de  way  dee  done  do 
de  place,  cause  dee  had  done  teoh  it  all  to  pieces  ; 
an'  her  eyes  light  up  at  de  sight  o'  our  men,  an'  she 
sort  o'  wave  her  hankcher  to  em,  an'  dee  wuz  comin' 
down  de  hill  turr  side  de  creek  right  study,  when,  as 
Gord  would  have  it,  we  heah  a  horse  foot  flyin',  an' 
right  tum  turr  way,  right  down  de  avenue,  he  horse 
in  a  lather,  come  dat  same  young  gent'man,  Cap'n 
Wilton.  Our  mens  see  him  at  de  same  time,  an'  start 
togallopin' down  de  hill  to  git  him.  He  ain' mine 'em 
do';  he  jes'  gallop  up  to  de  gate  an'  pull  a  letter  out 
he  pocket.  Meh  Lady  she  was  so  consarned  'bout 
him,  she  sort  o'  went  todes  him,  callin'  to  him  to  do 
pray  go  way.  He  ain'  mine  dat  ;  he  jes'  set  still  on 
he  nick-tail  bay,  an'  hole  he  paper  todes  her  right 
patient,  tell  she  run  down  de  walk  close  up  to  him, 
beggin'  him  to  go  way.  Den  he  teck  off  he  cap  an' 
ben'  over,  an'  present  her  de  paper  he  got,  an'  tell  her 
hit  a  letter  he  got  fum  Gen'l  McClenan,  he  done  come 
back  to  gi'  her.  Meh  Lady,  chile  !  she  so  busy  beg- 
gin' him  to  go  'way  an'  save  hisse'f,  she  done  forgit 
to  thank  him.  She  jes'  pleadin'  fur  him  to  go,  an' 
hit   'pear  like  de  mo'    she  beg,  de  mo'   partic'ler  he 


22  Meh  Lady 

settin"  dyah  at  de  gate  lookin'  down  at  her,  not  noticin' 
our  mens,  wid  a  sort  o'  curisome  smile  on  he  face, 
tell  jes'  as  our  mens  gallop  up  in  one  side  de  yard, 
an'  call  to  him  to  s'render,  he  say,  'Good-by,  an' 
tu'nned  an'  lay  he  gre't  big  bay  horse'  foot  to  de 
groun'.  Dee  shoot  at  him  an'  ride  after  him,  an' 
Meh  Lady  she  holler  to  'em  not  to  shoot  him  ;  but 
she  needn't  fluster  herse'f,  jes'  as  well  try  to  shoot  de 
win',  or  ride  to  ketch  a  bud,  de  way  dat  horse  run. 
He  wuz  a  flyer  !  He  run  like  he  jes'  start,  an'  de 
Cap  n  done  ride  him  thirty  miles  sence  dinner  to  git 
dat  paper  from  Gen'l  McClenan  fur  Meh  Lady. 

"  Well,  suh,  dat  night  de  plantation  wuz  fyah  'live 
wid  soldiers  — our  mens:  dee  wuz  movin'  all  night 
long,  jes'  like  ants,  an'  all  over  todes  de  gre't  road  de 
camp-fires  look  like  stars  ;  an'  nex'  mornin'  dee  wuz 
movin'  'fo'  daylight,  gwine  long  down  de  road,  an' 
'bout  dinner-time  hit  begin,  an'  from  dat  time  tell 
'way  in  de  night,  right  down  yander  way,  de  whole  uth 
wuz  rockin'.  You'd  a-thought  de  wuU  wuz  splittin' 
open,  an'  sometimes  ef  you'd  listen  right  good  you 
could  heah  em  yellin  ,  like  folks  in  de  harves'-fiel' 
hollerin'  after  a  ole  hyah. 

"  De  nex  day  we  know  we  all  done  scotch  'em, 
an'   dee    begin    to    bring  de    wounded    an'    put     em 


Mch  Ladv  2) 

in  folks'  houses.  Dee  bring  em  in  amb'lances  an' 
stretchers,  tell  ev'y  room  in  de  house  wuz  full  up, 
'sep'  on'y  Mistis'  chamber  an'  JVIeh  Lady'  room  an' 
Marse  Phil'  room.  An'  dyah  wuz  de  grettest  cuttin' 
up  o'  sheets  an'  linen  an'  things  fur  bandages  an'  lint 
you  ever  see.  Mistis  an'  Meh  Lady  even  cut  up  dee 
under-clo'es  fur  lint,  cause  you  know  dee  wuz  bleeged 
to  have  linen,  an'  Mistis  an'  Meh  Lady  teoh  up  dee 
underclo'es  tell  dee  got  smack  out.  Hannah  had  to 
go  long  afterwards  an'  gi'  'em  some  dee  done  gi'  her. 
Well,  so  'twuz,  de  house  wuz  full  like  a  hospittle, 
an'  doctors  gwine  in  and  out,  an'  ridin'  back'ards  an' 
for'ards.  an'  cuttin'  off  legs  an'  arms,  an'  hardly  got 
time  to  tun  roun'.  'Twuz  mightv  hard  on  Meh 
Lady,  but  she  had  grit  to  stan'  it.  Hi !  de  ve'y 
mornin'  after  de  battle  a  doctor  come  out  de  room 
whar  a  wounded  gent'man  wuz,  an'  ketch  sight  o' 
Meh  Lady  parsin'  th'oo  de  hall,  an'  say,  '  I  want  you 
to  help  me,'  an'  she  say,  *  What  you  want  me  to  do  .? ' 
an"  he  say,  '  You  got  to  hold  a  man's  arm,"  an'  she 
say,  '  To  bandage  it?  '  an'  he  say,  'No,  to  cut  it  off;' 
an'  she  say  she  cyarn'  do  it,  an'  he  say  she  kin  an'  she 
must.  Den  she  say  she'll  faint,  an'  he  say  ef  she  do 
he'll  die,  an'  he  ain'  got  a  minute  to  spyah  now.  Den 
ef  she  ain'  walk  right  in  an'  hole  he  arm,  tell  de  doc- 


24  Meh  Lady 

tor  cut  t  off  an'  dress  it,  an'  den  widout  a  wud  she 
say,  '  Is  you  done  ?  '  an'  he  say,  '  Yes;'  an'  she  walk 
out  an'  cross  de  yard  to  her  mammy'  house  right 
quick,  an'  fall  down  right  dead  on  de  flo'.  I  wan' 
dyah,  but  Hannah  sut'n'y  wuz  outdone  'bout  dat 
thing.  An',  you  know,  she  ain'  nuver  let  Mistis 
know  a  wud  bout  it,  not  nuver — she  so  feared  she'd 
'sturb  her  !  Dat's  de  blood  she  wuz  ;  an'  dem  wuz 
times  folks  wa'n't  dem  kind  !  Well,  dat  same  evenin' 
— de  day  after  de  battle — Meh  Lady  she  ax  one  de 
doctors  ef  many  o'  de  cav'lry  wuz  into  de  fight,  an' 
he  say  she'd  think  so  ef  she'd  been  dyah ;  dat  de 
cav'lry  had  meek  some  splendid  charges  bofe  sides  ; 
dat  de  Yankee  cav'lry  had  charge  th'oo  a  bresh  o' 
pines  on  de  streme  left  spang  up  'g'inst  our  breas'- 
wucks,  an'  a  young  Yankee  cap'n  in  de  front  o'  all, 
wid  he  cap  on  he  s'o'de,  on  a  nick-tail  bay,  had 
lead  em,  an'  had  spur  he  horse  jam  up  to  our 
line,  an'  bofe  had  fall  up  'g'inst  de  breas'wucks. 
I  tell  you  he  sut'n'y  wuz  pleased  wid  him;  he 
say  he  nuver  see  a  braver  feller ;  he  had  made  a 
p'int  to  try  an'  save  him  (an'  he'd  like  to  'a'  had  dat 
horse  too,  he  say),  but  he  was  shot  so  bad  he  fear'd 
'tain'  much  show  fur  him,  as  he  sort  o'  knocked  out 
he  senses  when  he  fall  as  well  as  shot.      An'  he  say, 


Meh  Lady  25 

*  He  sich  a  likely  young  feller,  an'  meek  sich  a  splen- 
did charge,  I  teck  a  letter  out  he  pocket  to  'dentify 
him,  an'  heah  'tis  now,'  he  says;  '  Cap'n  Shelly 
Wilton,'  he  says,  handin'  it  to  Meh  Lady. 

"When  he  say  dat,  Meh  Lady  ain'  say  nuttin', 
an'  Mistis  she  tun  'roun'  an'  walk  in  Marse  Phil' 
room  right  quick  an'  shet  de  do'  easy.  Den  pres'n'y 
she  come  out  an'  ax  Meh  Lady  to  have  de  kerridge 
gitten,  an'  den  she  walk  up  to  de  doctor,  an'  ax  him 
won'  he  go  down  wid  her  to  de  place  whar  he  lef '  dat 
young  Yankee  cap'n  an'  bring  him  dyah  to  her  house. 
An'  she  say,  he  her  husband'  cousin,  an'  she  onder 
obligations  to  him.  So  dee  went,  honey,  down  to  de 
battle-fiel'  all  roun'  de  road,  an'  'twuz  mos'  wuss'n 
when  we  all  went  down  to  de  Peninsular  after  Marse 
Phil,  de  road  wuz  full  of  wounded  mens  ;  an'  when 
we  fine  him  'twuz  right  dyah  at  dat  gap — he  fall  right 
dyah  whar  you  settin';  an'  do'  all  say  he  'bleeged  to 
die,  Mistis  she  had  him  tecken  up  an'  brung  right  to 
her  house.  An'  when  we  got  home  she  lead  de  way 
an'  went  straight  long  th'oo  de  hall ;  an',  befo'  Gord  ! 
she  opened  de  do'  herse'f  an'  cyar  him  right  in  an'  lay 
him  right  down  into  Marse  Phil'  baid.  Some  say  hit 
'cause  he  marster'  kinfolk  ;  but  Hannah,  she  know, 
an'   she   say   hit   'cause  Mistis   grievin'  'bout  Marse 


26  Meh  Lady 

Phil.  I  ain'  know  huccome  'tis ;  but  dyah  into 
Marse  Phil'  baid  dee  put  him.  an'  dyah  he  stay  good, 
an'  Mistis  an'  Meh  Lady  to  nuss  him  same  like  he 
wuz  Marse  Phil  hisse'f.  'Twuz  a  spell  do',  I  tell  you  ! 
Dyah  wuz  all  de  turrs  well  an'  gone  befo'  he  know 
wherr  he  dead  or  live.  Mistis,  atter  de  battle,  an' 
all  de  citement  sort  o'  let  down  ag'in,  an'  had  to  keep 
her  room  right  constant,  and  all  de  nussin'  an'  waitin' 
fall  on  Meh  Lady  an'  Hannah,  an'  dee  sut'n'y  did  do 
dee  part  faithful  by  all  on  em,  till  fust  one  an'  den 
anurr  went  away  ;  cause,  you  know,  we  couldn'  tell 
when  de  Yankees  wuz  gwine  to  come  an'  drive  our 
mens  back,  an'  our  soldiers  didn'  want  to  be  tecken 
prisners,  an'  dee  moved  way.  An'  pres'n'y  dyah 
warn'  none  lef  but  jes'  Cap'n  Wilton,  an'  he  still 
layin'  dyah  in  de  baid,  tossin'  an'  talkin',  wid  he  eyes 
wide  open  an'  ain'  know  nuttin'.  De  doctor  say  he 
wound  better,  but  he  got  fever,  an'  he  cyarn'  hole  out 
much  longer ;  say  he'd  been  dead  long  ago  but  he  so 
strong.  An'  one  night  he  went  to  sleep,  an'  de  doc- 
tor come  over  fum  camp  an'  say  he  wan'  nuver  gwine 
wake  no  mo'  but  jes'  once  he  reckon,  jes'  a  byah 
chance  ef  he  ain'  sturbed.  An'  he  ax  Meh  Lady  kin 
she  keep  him  sleep  she  reckon,  an'  she  say  she'll  try, 
an'  she  did    mon.      Mistis  she  wuz  sick  in   baid  an' 


"Oh!  she  sufn'y  did  pompcr  him^  rcadiii'   to  him   ont   o' 
books,  ail'  scttiii  by  liiin  on  dc  po\-Iir 


Meh  Lady  2y 

dyah  ain'  nobody  to  nuss  him,  skusin'  Meh  Lady,  an' 
she  set  by  dat  baid  all  dat  night  an'  fan  him  right 
easy  all  night  long  ;  all  night  long,  all  night  long  she 
fan  him,  an'  jes'  befo'  sun-up  he  open  he  eyes  an' 
look  at  her.  Hannah  she  jes'  gone  in  dyah,  thinkin' 
de  chile  tire'  to  death,  an'  she  say  jes'  as  she  tip  in  he 
open  he  eyes  an'  look  at  Meh  Lady  so  cu'yus,  settin' 
dyah  by  him  watchin';  den  he  shet  he  eyes  a  little 
while  an'  sleep  a  little  mo";  den  he  open  em  an' 
look  agin  an'  sort  o'  smile  like  he  know  her ;  an' 
den  he  went  to  sleep  good,  an'  Hannah  she  tuck  de 
fan  an'  sont  de  chile  to  her  own  room  to  baid.  Yes, 
suh,  she  did  dat  thing,  she  did  !  An'  1  heah  him  say 
afterwards,  when  he  wake  up,  all  he  could  think  bout 
wuz  he  done  git  to  heaven. 

*'  Well,  atter  dat,  Meh  Lady  she  lef '  him  to  Mistis 
an'  Hannah,  an'  pres'n'v  he  git  able  to  be  holped  out 
on  de  big  po'ch  an'  kivered  up  wid  a  shawl  an'  things 
in  a  big  arm-cheer.  An'  cause  Mistis  she  mos'  took 
to  her  baid,  an'  keep  her  room  right  constant,  Meh 
Lady  she  got  to  entertain  him.  Oh  !  she  sut  n'y  did 
pomper  him,  readin'  to  him  out  o'  books,  an'  settin 
by  him  on  de  po'ch.  You  see,  he  done  git  he  pay- 
role,  an'  she  'bleeged  to  teck  keer  on  him  den,  cause 
she  kind  o'  'sponsible  for  him,  an  he  sut'n'y  wuz  sat- 


28  Meh  Lady 

isfied,  layin'  dyah  wid  he  gray  eyes  follerin'  her  study 
ev'ywhar  she  tun,  jes'  like  some  dem  pictures  hang- 
in'  up  in  de  parlor. 

"  I  'members  de  fust  day  he  walked.  He  done 
notify  her,  and  she  try  to  'swade  him,  but  he  monsus 
sot  in  he  mind  when  he  done  meek  t  up,  and  she  got  to 
gi'  in,  like  women-folks  after  dee  done  spressify 
some  ;  and  he  git  up  and  walk  down  de  steps,  an' 
'cross  de  yard  to  a  rose-bush  nigh  de  gate  wid  red 
roses  on  it,  she  walkin'  by  he  side  lookin'  sort  o' 
anxious.  When  he  git  dyah,  dee  talk  a  little  while ; 
den  he  breck  one  an  gi'  t  to  her,  and  dee  come  back. 
Well,  he  hadn'  git  back  to  he  cheer  befo'  heah  come 
two  or  th'ee  gent'mens  ridin'  th'oo  de  place,  one  on 
'em  a  gener'l,  and  turrs,  dem  whar  ride  wid  'em,  our 
mens,  and  dee  stop  at  de  gate  to  'quire  de  way  to  de 
hewn-tree  ford  down  on  de  river,  and  Meh  Lady  she 
went  down  to  de  gate  to  ax  'em  to  light,  and  to  tell 
'em  de  way  down  by  de  pond  ;  and  when  she  standin' 
dyah  shadin'  de  sun  from  her  eyes  wid  a  fan,  and  de 
rose  in  her  hand  ('cause  she  ain'  got  on  no  hat),  de 
gener'l  say  : 

"  '  You  have  a  wounded  soldier  dyah  ? ' 
"An'  she  say,  '  Yes,  he's  a  wounded  Federal  officer 
on  parole,'  and  he  say,  teckin'  off  he  hat : 


Meh  Ladv  2g 

"  '  Dee  ain'  many  soldiers  dat  wouldn'  envv  him 
he  prison.'  And  den  she  bows  to  him  sort  o'  fusin' 
like,  and  her  face  mos'  blushin'  as  de  rose  de  Cap'n 
done  gi'  her  what  she  holdin';  and  when  dee  done  rid 
'long,  an  ain'  stop,  she  ain'  gone  back  to  de  po'ch 
toreckly  ;  she  come  out,  and  gi'  me  a  whole  parecel  o' 
directions  'bout  spadin'  de  border  whar  I  standin' 
heahin'    t  all,  wid  de  rose  done  stickin'  in  her  bosom. 

"  You'd  think  de  way  Meh  Lady  read  to  him  dyah 
on  de  big  po'ch,  she  done  forgit  he  her  pris'ner  and 
Virginia'  enemy.  She  ain'  do';  she  jes'  as  rapid  to 
teck  up  for  de  rebels  as  befo'  he  come;  I  b'lieve  she 
rapider  ;  she  call  herse'f  rebel,  but  she  ain'  le'  him 
name  it  so.  I  'member  one  mornin'  she  come  in  out 
de  fiel'  an'  jump  off  her  horse,  an'  set  down  by  him  in 
her  ridin'-frock,  and  she  call  herse'f  a  rebel,  an' 
pres'n'y  he  name  us  so  too,  an'  she  say  he  sha'n't  call 
'em  so,  an'  he  laugh  an'  call  'em  so  agin,  jes'  dyahsen, 
an'  she  git  up  an'  walk  right  straight  in  de  house 
wid  her  head  up  in  de  air.  He  tell  her  de  rebels 
wuz  'treatin',  but  she  ain'  dignify  to  notice  dat. 
He  teck  up  a  book  an'  pose  hese'f,  but  he  ain'  read 
much ;  den  he  try  to  sleep,  but  de  flies  'pear  to  pes- 
ter him  might'ly  ;  den  Hannah  come  out,  an'  he  ax 
her  is   she   see  Meh   Lady   in   dyah.       Hannah    say. 


^o  Meh  Lady 

'Nor,'  an'  den  he  ax  her  won'  she  please  go  an'  ax 
her  to  step  dyah  a  minute;  an'  Hannah  ain'  spicion- 
ate  nuttin'  and  went,  an'  Meh  Lady  say,  *  No,  she 
won",'  'cause  he  done  aggrivate  her;  an'  den  he  write 
her  a  little  note  an'  ax  Hannah  to  gi'  her  dat,  an'  she 
look  at  it  an'  send  t  back  to  him  widout  any  answer. 
Den  he  git  mad:  he  twis'  roun'  in  he  cheer  might'ly  ; 
but  'tain'  do  him  no  good  :  she  ain'  come  back  all 
day,  not  tell  he  had  to  teck  he  pencil  an'  write  her  a 
sho'  'nough  letter  :  den  pres'n'y  she  come  out  on  de 
po'ch  right  slow,  dressed  all  in  white,  and  tell  him 
sort  o'  forgivin'  dat  he  ought  to  be  'shamed  o'  hisse'f, 
an'  he  sort  o'  laugh',  an'  look  like  he  ain'  shamed  o' 
nuttin'. 

"  Dee  sut'n'y  wuz  gittin'  good-neighborly  'long 
den.  And  he  watch  over  her  jes'  like  she  got  her  pay- 
role  'stid  o'  him.  One  day  a  party  o'  Yankees,  jes' 
prowlin'  roun'  after  devilment,  come  gallopin'  in  th'oo 
de  place,  an'  down  to  de  stable,  and  had  meh  kerridge- 
horses  out  befo'  I  know  dee  dyah.  I  run  in  de  house 
and  tell  Meh  Lady.  De  Cap'n  he  wuz  in  he  room 
and  he  heah  me,  and  he  come  out  wid  he  cap  on, 
bucklin'  on  Marse  Phil'  s'o'de  whar  he  done  teck 
down  off  de  wall,  and  he  order  me  to  come  'long, 
and  tell  Meh  Lady  not  to  come  out ;    and  down  de 


Meh  Ladj^  ^i 

steps  he  stride  and  'cross  de  yard  out  th'oo  de  gate 
in  de  road  to  whar  de  mens  wuz  wid  meh  horses  at 
de  fence,  wid  he  face  right  set.  He  ax  'em  one  or 
two  questions  'bout  whar  dee  from  dat  mornin';  den 
he  tell  'em  who  he  is  and  dat  dee  cyarn'  trouble  nuffin' 
heah.  De  man  wid  meh  horses  see  de  Cap'  n  mighty 
pale  an'  weak-lookin',  and  he  jes'  laugh,  an'  gether  up 
de  halters  gittin'  ready  to  go,  an'  call  to  de  urrs  to 
come  long.  Well,  suh,  de  Cap'n'  eye  flash  ;  he  ain' 
say  a  wud  ;  he  jes  rip  out  Marse  Phil'  s'o'de  an'  clap 
it  up  ginst  dat  man'  side,  an'  cuss  him  once  !  You 
ought  to  'a'  seen  him  le'  dem  halters  go!  'Now,' 
says  de  Cap'n,  '  you  men  go  on  whar  you  gwine  ; 
dyah  de  road ;  I  know  you,  an'  ef  1  heah  of  you 
stealin'  anything  I'll  have  you  ev'y  one  hung  as  soon 
as  I  get  back.  Now  go.'  An'  I  tell  you,  mon  !  dee 
gone  quick  enough. 

*'  Oh  !  I  tell  you  he  sut'n'y  had  de  favor  o'  our  folks; 
he  ain'  waste  no  wuds  when  he  ready ;  he  quick  to 
r'ar,  an'  rank  when  he  git  up,  jes'  like  all  we  fam'bly  ; 
Norf  or  Souf,  dee  ain'  gwine  stand  no  projeckin'; 
dee's  Jack  Robinson. 

''So  'twuz,  Meh  Lady  sort  o'  got  used  to  'pendin' 
on  him,  an'  'dout  axin  her  he  sort  o'  sensed  when  to 
'vise  her. 


^2  Meh  Lady 

"  Sometimes  dee'd  git  in  de  boat  on  de  pond,  an' 
she'd  row  him  while  he'd  steer,  'cause  he  shoulder  ain' 
le'  him  row.  I  see  em  of  a  evelin' jes'  sort  o'  floatin' 
down  deah  onder  de  trees,  nigh  de  bank,  or  'mong 
dem  cow-collards,  puUin'  dem  water-flowers, — she  ain' 
got  on  no  hat,  or  maybe  jes'  a  soldier  cap  on  her 
head, — an'  heah  'em  talkin'  'cross  de  water  so  sleepy, 
an'  sometimes  he'd  meek  her  laugh  jes'  as  clear  as  a 
bud.      Dee  war'n  no  pay-role  den  ! 

"All  dis  time,  do',  she  jes'  as  good  a  rebel  as  befo' 
he  come.  De  wagons  would  come  an'  haul  corn,  an' 
she'd  tend  to  cookin'  for  de  soldiers  all  night  long, 
jes'  same,  on'y  she  ain'  talk  to  him  bout  it,  an'  he 
sort  o'  shet  he  eye  and  read  he  book  like  he  ain'  see 
it.  She  ain'  le'  Cap'n  Wilton  nor  Cap'n  nuttin'  else 
meek  no  diffunce  bout  dat;  she  jes'  partic'lar  to  him 
'cause  he  her  cousin,  dat's  all,  an'  got  he  pay-role  ; 
we  all  white  folks  al'ays  set  heap  o'  sto'  by  one  nurr, 
dat's  all  she  got  in  her  mind. 

"  I  'mos'  begin  to  spicionate  somen'  myse'f,  but 
Hannah  she  say  I  ain'  nuttin'  but  a  ole  nigger-fool,  I 
ain'  know  nuttin'  bout  white  folks'  ways  ;  an'  she' 
'nough,  she  done  prove  herse'f 

"  Hit  come  long  todes  de  larst  o'  Fall,  'bout 
seedin'-wheat  time ;   de  weather  been  mighty  warm, 


'.-i//'   lie  zviiz  lioldiii'   her  haiid^   talkiii    nght  study ^ 


Meh  Lady  ^^ 

mos'  like  summer,  an'  ev'ything  sort  o'  smoky-hazy, 
like  folks  bunnin'  bresh ;  an'  one  day  d'  come  fum 
de  post-office  a  letter  for  de  Cap'n,  an'  he  face  look 
sort  o'  comical  when  he  open  it,  an'  he  put  it  in  he 
pocket ;  an'  pres'n'y  he  say  he  got  to  go  home,  he  got 
he  exchangement.  Meh  Lady  ain'  say  nuttin';  but 
after  while  she  ax,  kind  o'  perlite,  is  he  well  enough 
yet  to  go.  He  ain'  meek  no  answer,  an'  she  ain'  say 
no  mo',  den  bofe  stop  talkin'  right  good. 

"  Well,  dat  evenin'  dee  come  out,  and  set  on  de 
po'ch  awhile,  she  wid  her  hyah  done  smoove ;  den  he 
say  somen  to  her,  an'  dee  git  up  an'  went  to  walk; 
an'  fust  he  walk  to  dat  red  rose-bush  an'  pull  two  or 
th'ee  roses,  den  dee  went  saunterin'  right  long  down 
dis  way,  he  wid  de  roses  in  he  han',  lookin'  mighty 
handsome.  Pres'n'y  I  hed  to  come  down  in  de  fiel', 
an'  when  I  was  gwine  back  to  de  house  to  feed,  I 
strike  for  dis  parf,  an'  I  wuz  walkin'  long  right  slow 
('cause  I  had  a  misery  in  dis  hip  heah),  an'  as  I  come 
th'oo  de  bushes  I  heah  somebody  talkin',  an'  dyah 
dee  wuz  right  at  de  gap,  an'  he  wuz  holdin'  her  hand, 
talkin'  right  study,  lookin'  down  at  her,  an'  she  look- 
in'  'way  fum  him,  ain'  sayin'  nuttin',  jes'  lookin' 
so  miser'ble  wid  de  roses  done  shatter  all  over  her 
lap  an'  down  on  de  groun'.      I  ain'  know  which  way 


^  Mch  Lady 

to  tu'n,  so  I  Stan'  still,  an'  I  heah  him  say  he  want 
her  to  wait  an'  le'  him  come  back  ag'in,  an'  he  call  her 
by  her  name,  an'  say,  '  Won't  you  '  '  an'  she  wait  a  lit- 
tle while  an'  den  pull  her  hand  away  right  slow ;  den 
she  say,  sort  o'  whisperin',  she  cyarn'.  He  say  somen 
den  so  hoarse  I  ain'  meck't  out,  an'  she  say,  still 
lookin'  'way  fum  him  on  de  groun',  dat  she  'cyarn' 
marry  a  Union  soldier.'  Den  he  le'  go  her  hand  an' 
rar  hese'f  up  sort  o'  straight,  an'  sav  somen'  I  ain' 
meek  out  'sep'  dat  'twould  'a'  been  kinder  et  she  had 
let  him  die  when  he  wuz  wounded,  'stid  o'  woundin' 
him  all  he  life.  When  he  say  dat,  she  sort  o'  squinch 
'way  from  him  like  he  mos'  done  hit  her,  an'  say  wid 
her  back  todes  him  dat  he  ought  not  to  talk  dat  way, 
dat  she  know  she  been  mighty  wicked,  but  she  ain' 
know  'bout  it,  an'  maybe — .  I  ain'  know  what  she 
say,  'cause  she  start  to  cryin'  right  easy,  an'  he  teck 
her  han'  agin  an'  kiss  it,  an"  I  slip  roun'  an'  come 
home,  an'  lef  'em  dyah  at  de  gap,  she  cryin'  an'  he 
kissin'  her  han'  to  comfort  her, 

*'  I  drive  him  over  to  de  depot  dat  night,  an'  he 
gi'  me  a  five  dollars  in  gold,  an'  say  I  must  teck  keer 
o'  de  ladies,  I'se  dee  main  'pendence;  an'  I  tell  him, 
*  Yes,  I  know  I  is,'  an'  he  sut'ny  wuz  sorry  to  tell 
me  good-by. 


Meh  Lady  ^5 

*'  An'  Hannah  say  she  done  tell  me  all  long  de 
chile  ain'  gwine  mortify  herself  bout  no  Yankee  sol- 
dier, don'  keer  how  pretty  an'  tall  he  is,  an'  how 
straight  he  hole  he  head,  an'  dat  she  jes'  sorry  he 
gone  'cause  he  her  cousin.  I  ain'  know  so  much 
'bout  dat  do.  Dat  what  Hannah  al'ays  say^she 
tell  me. 

"Well,  suh,  ef  twarn'  lonesome  after  dat  !  Hit 
'pear  like  whip'o'will  sing  all  over  de  place  ;  ev'y- 
whar  I  tu'n  I  ain'  see  him.  I  didn'  know  till  he  gone 
how  sot  we  all  dun  git  on  him  ;  'cause  I  ain'  de  on'y 
one  done  miss  him  ;  Hannah  she  worryin'  'bout  him, 
Mistis  she  miss  him,  an'  Meh  Lady  she  gwine  right 
study  wid  her  mouf  shet  close,  but  she  cyarn'  shet  her 
eye  on  me:  she  miss  him,  an'  she  signify  it  too. 
She  tell  Mistis  'bout  he  done  ax  her  to  marry  him 
some  day  an'  to  le'  him  come  back,  an'  Mistis  ax  what 
she  say,  an'  she  tell  her,  an'  Mistis  git  up  out  her 
cheer  an'  went  over  to  her,  an'  kiss  her  right  sort ; 
and  Hannah  say  (she  wuz  in  de  chamber,  an'  she  heah 
'em),  she  say  she  broke  out  cryin',  an'  say  she  know 
she  ought  to  hate  him,  but  she  don't,  an'  she  cyarn', 
she  jes'  hate  an'  'spise  herself;  an'  Mistis  she  try  to 
comfort  her ;  an'  she  teck  up  de  plantation  ag'in,  but 
she  ain'  never  look  jes'  like  she  look  befo'  he  come 


^6  Meh  Lady 

dyah  an'  walk  in  de  hall,  so  straight,  puttin'  up  he 
s'o'de,  an'  when  she  ain'  claim  no  kin  wid  him  back 
out  de  do'  so  gran'  an'  say  he  cyarn'  intrude  on  her, 
an'  den  ride  thirty  mile'  to  git  dat  paper  an'  come  an' 
set  on  he  horse  at  de  gate  so  study  and  our  mens 
gallopin'  up  in  de  yard  to  get  him.  She  wuck  mighty 
study,  and  ride  Dixie  over  de  plantation  mighty  reg'- 
lar,  'cause  de  war  done  git  us  so  low,  wid  all  dem 
niggers  to  feed,  she  hed  to  tu'n  roun'  right  swift  to  git 
'em  victuals  an'  clo'es  ;  but  she  ain'  look  jes'  like  she 
look  befo'  dat,  an'  she  sut'n'y  do  nuss  dat  rose-bush 
nigh  de  gate  induschus. 

"  But  dem  wuz  de  een  o'  de  good  times. 

"  Hit  'peared  like  dat  winter  all  de  good  luck  done 
gone  'way  fum  de  place  ;  de  weather  wuz  so  severe, 
an'  we  done  gi'  de  ahmy  ev'ything,  de  feed  done  gi' 
out,  an'  'twuz  rank,  I  tell  you  !  Mistis  an'  Meh 
Lady  sent  to  Richmon'  an'  sell  dee  bonds,  an'  some 
dee  buy  things  wid  to  eat,  an'  de  rest  dee  gin  de 
Gov'ment,  an'  teck  Confed'ate  money  for  em.  She 
say  she  ain'  think  hit  right  to  widhold  nuttin',  an'  she 
teck  Marster'  bonds  an'  sell  'em  fur  Confed'ate  Gun- 
boat stock  or  some'n'.  I  use'  to  heah  'em  talkin' 
'bout  it. 

"  Den    de    Yankees   come   an'    got    my    kerridge- 


Meh  Lady  ,?/ 

horses  !  Oh  !  ef  dat  didn'  hu't  me  !  I  ain'  git  over  it 
yit.  When  we  heah  dee  comin'  Meh  Lady  tell  me 
to  hide  de  horses  ;  hit  jes'  as  well,  she  reckon.  De 
fust  time  dee  come,  dee  wuz  all  down  in  de  river 
pahsture,  an'  dee  ain'  see  em,  but  now  dee  wuz  up  at 
de  house.  An  so  many  been  stealed  I  used  to  sleep 
in  de  stalls  at  night  to  watch  'em  ;  so  I  teck  'em  all 
down  in  de  pines  on  de  river,  an'  I  down  dyah  jes'  as 
s'cure  as  a  coon  in  de  holler,  when  heah  dee  come 
tromplin'  and  gallinupin',  an'  teck  'em  ev'y  one,  an' 
'twuz  dat  weevly  black  nigger  Ananias  done  show  'em 
whar  de  horses  is,  an'  lead  em  dyah.  He  always  wuz 
a  mean  po'  white  folks  nigger  anywavs,  an'  twuz  a 
pity  Mistis  ain'  sell  him  long  ago.  Ef  I  couldn'  a 
teoh  him  all  to  pieces  dat  day  !  I  b'lieve  Meh  Lady 
mo'  'sturb  'bout  'Nias  showin'  de  Yankees  whar  de 
horses  is  den  she  is  bout  dee  teckin'  'em.  'Nias  he 
ain'  nuver  dyah  show  he  face  no  mo',  he  went  off  wid 
'em,  an'  so  did  two  or  thee  mo'  o'  de  boys.  De 
folks  see  'em  when  dee  parse  th'oo  Quail  Quarter, 
an'  dee  shamed  to  say  dee  gone  off,  so  dee  tell  em 
de  Yankees  cyar'  'em  off,  but  twarn'  nothin'  but  a 
lie;  I  know  dee  ain'  cvar'  me  off;  dee  ax  me  ef  I 
don'  wan'  go,  but  I  tell  'em  *  Nor.' 

"  Things  wuz  mons'ous  scant  after  dat,  an'  me  an' 


^8  Melt  Lady 

Meh  Lady  had  hard  wuck  to  meek  buckle  and  tongue 
meet,  I  tell  you.  We  had  to  scuffle  might'ly  dat 
winter. 

*'  Well,  one  night  a  curisome  thing  happen.  We 
had  done  got  mighty  lean,  what  wid  our  mens  an' 
Yankees  an'  all ;  an'  de  craps  ain'  come  in,  an'  de 
team  done  gone,  an'  de  fences  done  bu'nt  up,  an' 
things  gettin'  mighty  down,  I  tell  vou.  And  dat 
night  I  wuz  settin'  out  in  de  yard,  jes'  done  finish 
smokin',  and  studyin'  'bout  gwine  to  bed.  De  sky 
wuz  sort  o'  thick,  an'  meh  mine  wuz  runnin'  on  my 
horses,  an'  pres'n'y,  suh,  I  heah  one  on  'em  gallopin' 
tobucket,  tobucket,  tobucket,  right  swif  long  de 
parf  cross  de  fiel',  an'  I  thought  to  myself,  I  know 
Romilus'  gallop;  I  set  right  still,  an'  he  come  'cross 
de  branch  and  stop  to  drink  jes'  a  moufful,  an'  den  he 
come  up  de  hill,  tobucket,  tobucket,  tobucket.  I  say, 
'  Dat  horse  got  heap  o'  sense ;  he  know  he  hot,  an' 
he  ain'  gwine  to  hu't  hese'f  drinkin',  don'  keer  how 
thusty  he  is.  He  gwine  up  to  de  stable  now,'  I  say, 
'  an'  I  got  to  go  up  dyah  an'  le'  him  in  ;'  but  stid  o' 
dat,  he  tu'n  'roun'  by  de  laundry,  an'  come  close  roun' 
de  house  to  whar  I  settin',  an'  stop,  an'  I  wuz  jes' 
sayin',  '  Well,  ef  dat  don'  beat  any  horse  ever  wuz  in 
de  wull ;    how  he  know   I    heah  ? '    when  somebody 


Meh  Lady  ^9 

say,  '  Good-evenin'.'  Um-h  !  I  sut'n'y  wuz  disap- 
p'inted  ;  dyah  wuz  a  man  settin'  dyah  in  de  dark  on  a 
gre't  black  horse,  an'  say  he  wan'  me  to  show  him  de 
way  th'oo  de  place.  He  ax  me  ef  I  warn'  sleep,  an'  I 
tell  him,  'Nor,  I  jes'  studyin';'  den  he  ax  me  a  whole 
parecel  o'  questions  'bout  Mistis  and  Marse  Phil  an' 
all,  an'  say  he  kin  to  'em  an'  he  used  to  know  Mistis 
a  long  time  ago.  Den  I  ax  him  to  light,  an'  tell  him 
we'd  all  be  mighty  glad  to  see  him  ;  but  he  say  he 
'bleeged  to  git  right  on  ;  an'  he  keep  on  axin'  how 
dee  wuz  an'  how  dee  been,  an'  ef  dee  sick  an'  all,  an'  so 
'quisitive  ;  pres'n'y  I  ain  tell  him  no  mo'  'sep'  dat  dee 
all  well  'skusin'  Mistis  ;  an'  den  he  ax  me  to  show 
him  de  way  th'oo,  an'  when  I  start,  he  ax  me  cyarn  he 
go  th'oo  de  yard,  dat  de  rection  he  warn'  go,  an'  I 
tell  him  'Yes,'  an'  le'  him  th'oo  de  back  gate,  an'  he 
ride  'cross  de  yard  on  de  grahss.  As  he  ride  by  de 
rose-bush  nigh  de  gate,  he  lean  over,  an'  I  thought  he 
breck  a  switch  off,  an'  I  tell  him  not  to  breck  dat ; 
dat  Meh  Lady'  rose-bush,  whar  she  set  mo'  sto'  by 
den  all  de  res';  an'  he  say,  ' 'Tis  a  rose-bush,  sho' 
'nough,'  an'  he  come  long  to  de  gate,  holdin'  a  rose 
in  he  hand.  Dyah  he  ax  me  which  is  Mistis'  room, 
and  I  tell  him,  '  De  one  by  de  po'ch,'  an'  he  say  he 
s'pose  dee  don'  use  upstyars  much  now  de  fam'bly  so 


40  Meh  Lady 

small;  an'  I  tell  him,  'Nor,'  dat  Meh  Lady'  room 
right  next  to  Mistis'  dis  side,  an'  he  stop  an'  look  at 
de  winder  good ;  den  he  come  long  to  de  gate,  an' 
when  I  ax  him  which  way  he  gwine,  he  say,  '  By  de 
hewn-tree  ford.'  An'  blessed  Gord  !  ef  de  wud  ain' 
bring  up  things  I  done  mos'  forgit — dat  gener'l  ridin' 
up  to  de  gate,  an'  Meh  Lady  standin'  dyah,  shadin' 
her  eyes,  wid  de  rose  de  Cap'n  done  gi'  her  off  dat 
same  bush,  an'  de  gener'l  say  he  envy  him  he  prison. 
I  see  him  jes'  plain  as  ef  he  standin'  dyah  befo'  me, 
an'  heah  him  axin'  de  way  to  de  hewn-tree  ford;  but 
jes'  den  I  heah  somen  jingle,  an'  he  jes'  lean  over  an' 
poke  some'n  heavy  in  my  hand,  an'  befo'  I  ken  say  a 
wud  he  gone  gallopin'  in  de  dark.  And  when  I  git 
back  to  de  light,  I  find  six  gre't  big  yaller  gold  pieces 
in  meh  hand,  look  like  gre't  pats  o'  butter,  an'  ef  't 
hadn'  been  for  dat  Ld  'mos'  'a'  believe'  'twuz  a  dream; 
but  dyah  de  money  an'  dyah  de  horse-track,  an'  de 
limb  done  pull  off  Meh  Lady'  rose-bush. 

"  I  hide  de  money  in  a  ole  sock  onder  de  j'ice,  and 
I  p'int  to  tell  Meh  Lady  'bout  it  ;  but  Hannah, 
she  say  I  ain'  know  who  'tis — (and  so  I  ain'  den); 
and  I  jes'  gwine  'sturb  Mistis  wid  folks  ridin'  bout 
th'oo  de  yard  at  night,  and  so  I  ain'  say  nuttin';  but 
when  I  heah  Meh  Lady  grievin'  'bout  somebody  done 


Meh  Lady  41 

breck  her  rose-bush  an'  steal  one  of  her  roses,  I 
mighty  nigh  tell  her,  an'  I  would,  on'y  I  don't  orn' 
aggrivate  Hannah.  You  know  'twon't  do  to  aggrivate 
women-folks. 

"  Well,  'twarn'  no  gre't  while  after  dat  de  war 
broke;  'twuz  de  nex'  spring 'bout  plantin'-corn  time, 
on'y  we  ain'  plant  much  'cause  de  team  so  weak ; 
stealin'  an'  Yankee  teckin'  together  done  clean  us  up, 
an'  Mistis  an'  Meh  Lady  had  to  gi'  a  deed  o'  struss 
on  de  Ian'  to  buy  a  new  team  dat  spring,  befo'  we 
could  breck  up  de  corn-land,  an'  we  hadn'  git  mo'  "n 
half  done  fo'  Richmon'  fall  an'  de  folks  wuz  all  free  ; 
den  de  army  parse  th'oo  an'  some  on  'em  come  by 
home,  an'  teck  ev'y  blessed  Gord's  horse  an'  mule  on 
de  place,  'sep'  one  ole  mule — George,  whar  wuz  ole 
an'  bline,  an'  dee  won'  have  him.  Dem  wuz  turrible 
times,  an'  ef  Meh  Lady  an'  Mistis  didn'  cry  !  not 
'cause  dee  teck  de  horses  an'  mules — we  done  get  use' 
to  dat,  an'  dat  jes'  meek  'em  mad  and  high-sperited — 
but  'cause  Richmon'  done  fall  an'  Gener'l  Lee  sur- 
rendered. Ef  dee  didn'  cry!  When  Richmon'  fall 
dee  wuz  'stonished,  but  dee  say  dat  ain'  meek  no  dif- 
funce,  Gener'l  Lee  gwine  whip  'em  yit ;  but  when 
dee  heah  Gener'l  Lee  done  surrender  dee  gin  up  ; 
fust   dee    wouldn'    b'lieve    it,    but    dee    sut'n'y    wuz 


42  Meh  Ladv 

strusted.  Dee  grieve  bout  dat  'mos'  much  as  when 
Marse  Phil  die.  Mistis  she  ain'  nuver  rekiver.  She 
wuz  al'ays  sickly  and  in  bed  after  dat,  and  Meh  Lady 
and  Hannah  dee  use'  to  nuss  her. 

*'  After  de  fust  year  or  so  mos'  o'  de  folks  went 
away.  Meh  Lady  she  tell  'em  dee  better  go,  dat  dee'l 
fine  dem  kin  do  mo'  for  'em  en  she  kin  now  ;  heap  on 
'em  say  dee  ain'  gwine  way,  but  after  we  so  po'  dee 
went  'way,  dthough  Meh  Lady  sell  some  Mistis'  dia- 
monds to  buy  'em  some'n  to  eat  while  dee  dyah. 

"  Well,  'twan'  so  ve'y  long  after  dis,  or  maybe 
'twuz  befo',  'twuzjes'  after  Richmon'  fall,  Mistis  get 
a  letter  fum  de  Cun'l — dat's  Cap'n  Wilton  ;  he  done 
Cun'l  den, — tellin'  her  he  want  her  to  le'  him  come 
down  an'  see  her  an'  Meh  Lady,  an'  he  been  love 
Meh  Lady  all  de  time  sence  he  wounded  heah  in  de 
war,  an'  al'ays  will  love  her,  an'  won'  she  le'  him  help 
her  any  way  ;  dat  he  owe  Mistis  an'  Meh  Lady  he 
life.  Hannah  heah  'em  read  it.  De  letter  'sturb 
Mistis  might'ly,  an'  she  jes'  put  it  in  Meh  Lady'  ban's 
an'  tun   way  widout  a  wud. 

"Meh  Lady,  Hannah  say,  set  right  still  a  minute 
an'  look  mighty  solemn  ;  den  she  look  at  Mistis  sort 
o'  sideways,  an'  den  she  say,  '  Tell  him.  No.'  An' 
Mistis  went  over  an'  kiss  her  right  sorf 


Meh  Lady  4^ 

''An'  dat  evenin'  I  cyar  de  letter  whar  Mistis 
write  to  de  office. 

"  Well,  'twarn"  so  much  time  after  dat  dee  begin 
to  sue  Mistis  on  Marster's  debts.  We  heah  dee  suin' 
her  in  de  co't,  an'  Mistis  she  teck  to  her  bed  reglar 
wid  so  much  trouble,  an'  say  she  hope  she  won'  nuver 
live  to  see  de  place  sold,  an'  Meh  Lady  she  got  to 
byah  ev'ything.  She  used  to  sing  to  Mistis  an'  read 
to  her  an'  try  to  hearten  her  up,  meckin'  out  dat 
'tain'  meek  no  diffunce.  Hit  did  do',  an'  she  know 
it,  cause  we  po'  now,  sho'  nough;  an'  dee  wuz  po'er 
'n  Hannah  an'  me,  'cause  de  Ian'  ain'  got  nobody  to 
wuck  it  an'  no  team  to  wuck  it  wid,  an'  we  ain'  know 
who  it  b'longst  to,  an'  hit  done  all  grow  up  in  bushes 
an'  blackberry  briers  ;  ev'y  year  hit  grow  up  mo'  an 
mo  ,  an'  we  gittin'  po'er  an'  po'er.  Mistis  she  boun' 
to  have  flour,  ain'  been  use  to  nuttin'  but  de  fines' 
bread,  jes'  as  white  as  you'  shut,  an'  she  so  sickly 
now  she  got  to  have  heap  o'  things,  tell  Meh  Lady 
fyar  at  her  wits'  een  to  git  em.  Dat's  all  I  ever  see 
her  cry  'bout,  when  she  ain'  got  nuttin'  to  buy  what 
Mistis  want.  She  use  to  cry  'bout  dat  dthough. 
But  Mistis  ain'  know  nottin'  'bout  dat  :  she  think 
Meh  Lady  got  heap  men  she  is,  bein'  shet  up  in  her 
room  now  all  de  time.     De  doctor  say  she  got  'sump- 


44  Meh  Lady 

tion,  an'  Meh  Lady  doin'  all  she  kin  to  keep  t  fum 
her  how  po'  we  is,  smilin'  an'  singin'  fur  her.  She 
jes'  whah  herse'f  out  wid  it,  nussin'  her,  wuckin'  fur 
her,  singin'  to  her.  Hit  used  to  hu't  me  sometimes 
to  heah  de  chile  singin'  of  a  evenin'  things  she  use  to 
sing  in  ole  times,  like  she  got  ev'ything  on  uth  same 
as  befo'  de  war,  an'  I  know  she  jes'  singin'  to  ease 
Mistis'  mine,  an'  maybe  she  hongry  right  now. 

"'Twuz  den  I  went  an'  git  de  rest  o'  de  money  de 
Cap'n  gi'  me  dat  night  fum  onder  de  j'ice  (I  had  done 
spend  right  smart  chance  on  it  gittin'  things,  meckin' 
b'lieve  I  meek  it  on  de  farm),  an'  I  put  it  in  meh  ole 
hat  an'  cyar  it  to  Meh  Lady,  'cause  it  sort  o'  hern 
anyways,  an'  her  face  sort  o'  light  up  when  she  see  de 
gold  shinin',  'cause  she  sut'n'y  had  use  for  it,  an'  she 
ax  me  whar  I  git  so  much  money,  an'  I  tell  her  some- 
body gi'  t  to  me,  an'  she  say  what  I  gwine  do  wid  it. 
An'  I  tell  her  it  hern,  an'  she  say  how,  an'  I  tell  her 
I  owe  it  to  her  for  rent,  an'  she  bust  out  cryin'  so 
she  skeer  me.  She  say  she  owe  me  an'  her  mammy 
ev'ything  in  de  wull,  an'  she  know  we  jes'  stayin'  wid 
'em  cause  dee  helpless,  an'  sich  things,  an'  she  cry  so 
I  upped  an'  tole  her  how  I  come  by  de  money,  an' 
she  stop  an'  listen  good.  Den  she  say  she  cyarn'  tech 
a  cent  o'  dat  money,  an'  she  oodn',  mon,  tell  I  tell  her 


Meh  Ladv  4^ 

I  wan'  buy  de  mule  ;  an'  she  say  she  consider  him 
mine  now,  an'  ef  he  ain'  she  gi'  him  to  me,  an'  I  say, 
nor,  I  wan'  buy  him.  Den  she  say  how  much  he 
wuth,  an'  I  say,  he  wuth  a  hunderd  dollars,  but  I  ain' 
got  dat  much  right  now,  I  kin  owe  her  de  res'  ;  an' 
she  breck  out  laughin',  like  when  she  wuz  a  little  girl 
an'  would  begin  to  laugh  ef  you  please  her,  wid  de 
tears  on  her  face  an'  dress,  sort  o'  April-like.  Hit 
gratify  me  so,  I  keep  on  at  it,  but  she  say  she'll  teck 
twenty  dollars  for  de  mule  an'  no  mo',  an'  I  say  I 
ain'  gwine  disqualify  dat  mule  wid  no  sich  price  ;  den 
pres'n'y  we  gree  on  forty  dollars,  an'  I  pay  it  to  her, 
an'  she  sont  me  up  to  Richmon'  next  day  to  git 
things  for  Mistis,  an'  she  al'ays  meek  it  a  pint  after 
dat  to  feed  George  a  little  somen'  ev'y  day. 

"  Den  she  teck  de  school  ;  did  you  know  'bout 
dat  ?  Dat  de  school-house  right  down  de  road  a  lit- 
tle piece.  I  reckon  you  see  it  as  you  come  long,  I 
ain'  b'lieve  it  when  I  heah  'em  say  Meh  Lady  gwine 
teach  it.  1  say,  *She  teach  niggers  !  dat  she  ain' !  not 
my  young  mistis.'  But  she  laugh  at  me  an'  Hannah, 
an'  say  she  been  teachin'  de  colored  chil'n  all  her  life, 
ain'  she  ?  an'  she  wan'  Hannah  an'  me  to  ease  Mistis' 
min'  'bout  it  ef  she  say  anything.  I  sut'n'y  was 
'posed  to  it,  do';    an'  de  colored  chil'n  she  been  teach- 


46  Meh  Lady 

in'  wuz  diffunt — dee  b'longst  to  her.  But  she  al'ays 
so  sot  on  doin"  what  she  gwine  do,  she  meek  vou 
b'lieve  she  right  don'  keer  what  'tis  ;  an'  I  tell  her 
pres'n'y.  all  right,  but  ef  dem  niggers  impident  to 
her,  jes'  le'  me  know  an'  I'll  come  down  dyah  an' 
wyah  'em  out.  So  she  went  reg'lar,  walk  right  'long 
dis  ve'y  parf  wid  her  books  an'  her  little  basket.  An' 
sometimes  I'd  bring  de  mule  for  her  to  ride  home  ef 
she  been  up  de  night  befo'  wid  Mistis ;  but  she  wouldn' 
ride  much,    cause  she  think  George  got  to  wuck. 

"Tell  'long  in  de  spring  Meh  Lady  she  done  breck 
down,  what  wid  teachin'  school,  an'  settin'  up,  an' 
bein'  so  po',  stintin'  for  Mistis,  an'  her  face  gittin' 
real  white  'stid  o'  pink  like  peach-blossom,  as  it  used 
to  be,  on'y  her  eyes  dee  bigger  an'  prettier'n  ever, 
'sep'  dee  look  tired  when  she  come  out  o'  Mistis' 
chamber  an'  lean  'g'inst  de  do',  lookin'  out  down  de 
lonesome  road;  an'  de  doctor  whar  come  from  Rich- 
mon'  to  see  Mistis,  'cause  de  ain'  no  doctor  in  de 
neighborhood  sence  de  war,  tell  Hannah  when  he  went 
'way  de  larst  time  'tain'  no  hope  for  Mistis,  she  mos' 
gone,  an'  he  teck  her  aside,  an'  tell  her  she  better  look 
mighty  good  after  Meh  Lady  too  ;  he  say  she  mos' 
sick  as  Mistis,  an'  fust  thing^ehe  know  she'll  be  gone 
too.      Dat  'sturb  Hannah  might'ly. 


"An'  soiiictiiiics  Pd  bring  dc  nuilc  for  her  to  ride  home 
ef  she  been  up  de  night  befd   wid  MistisP 


Meh  Lady  4j 

"  Well,  so  'twuz  tell  in  de  spring.  I  had  done 
plant  meh  corn,  an'  it  hed  done  come  up  right  good; 
'bout  mos'  eight  acres,  right  below  the  barn  whar  de 
Ian'  strong  (I  couldn'  put  in  no  mo'  'cause  de  mule 
he  wuz  mighty  ole)  ;  an'  come  a  man  down  heah  one 
mornin',  ridin'  a  sway-back  sorrel  horse,  an'  say  dee 
gwine  sell  de  place  in  'bout  a  mont'.  Meh  Lady  hed 
gone  to  school,  an'  I  ain'  le'  him  see  Mistis,  nor  tell 
him  whar  Meh  Lady  is  nuther  ;  I  jes'  teck  de  message 
an'  call  Hannah  so  as  she  kin  git  it  straight ;  an' 
when  Meh  Lady  come  home  dat  evenin'  I  tell  her. 
She  sut'n'y  did  tu'n  white,  an'  dat  night  she  ain'  sleep 
a  wink.  After  she  put  her  ma  to  sleep,  she  come  out 
to  her  mammy'  house,  an'  fling  herself  on  Hannah' 
bed  an'  cry  an'  cry.  'Twuz  jes'  as  ef  her  heart  gwine 
breck;   she  say  'twould  kill  her  ma,  an'  hit  did. 

"  Mistis  she  boun'  to  heah  'bout  it,  'cause  Meh 
Lady  'bleeged  to  breck  it  to  her  now ;  and  at  fust  it 
'peared  like  she  got  better  on  it,  she  teck  mo'  notice- 
ment  o'  ev'ything,  an'  her  eyes  look  bright  and  shiny. 
She  ain'  know  not  yit  'bout  how  hard  Meh  Lady 
been  had  to  scufile ;  she  say  she  keep  on  after  her  to 
git  herse'f  some  new  clo'es,  a  dress  an'  things,  an'  she 
oont;  an'  Meh  Lady  would  jes'  smile,  tired  like,  an' 
say  she  teachin'   now,  and  don'  want  no  mo'  'n  she 


48  Meh  Lady 

got,    an'    her    smile    meek    me    mos'    sorry    like    she 
cryin'. 

"So  hit  went  on  tell  jes  befo'  de  sale.  An'  one 
day  Meh  Lady  she  done  lef  her  ma  settin'  in  her 
cheer  by  de  winder,  whar  she  done  fix  her  good  wid 
pillows,  an'  she  done  gone  to  school,  an'  Hannah 
come  out  whar  I  grazin'  de  mule  on  de  ditch-bank, 
an'  say  Mistis  wan'  see  me  toreckly.  I  gi'  Hannah 
de  lines,  an'  I  went  in  an'  knock  at  de  do',  an'  when 
Mistis  ain'  heah,  I  went  an'  knock  at  de  chamber  do' 
an'  she  tell  me  to  come  in  ;  an'  I  ax  her  how  she  is, 
an'  she  say  she  ain'  got  long  to  stay  wid  us,  an'  she 
wan'  ax  me  somen,  and  she  wan'  me  tell  her  de  truth, 
an'  she  say  I  al'ays  been  mighty  faithful  an'  kind  to 
her  an'  hern,  an'  she  hope  Gord  will  erward  me  an' 
Hannah  for  it,  an'  she  wan'  me  now  to  tell  her  de 
truth.  When  she  talk  dat  way,  hit  sut'n'y  hut  me, 
an'  I  tole  her  I  sut'n'y  would  tell  her  faithful.  Den 
she  went  on  an'  ax  me  how  we  wuz  gettin'  on,  an'  ef  we 
ain'  been  mighty  po',  an'  ef  Meh  Lady  ain'  done  stint 
herse'f  more'n  she  ever  know  ;  an'  I  tell  her  all  'bout  it, 
ev'ything  jes'  like  it  wuz — de  fatal  truth,  'cause  I 
done  promised  her  ;  an'  she  sut'n'y  was  grieved,  I  tell 
you,  an'  the  tears  roll  down  an'  drap  off  her  face  on 
de  pillow;   an'  pres'n'y  she  say  she  hope  Gord  would 


Meh  Ladv  ^9 

forgive  her,  an'  she  teck  out  her  breast  dem  little 
rocks  jVIarster  gi'  her  when  she  married,  whar  hed 
been  ole  Mistis',  an'  she  say  she  gin  up  all  the  urrs,  but 
dese  she  keep  to  gi'  JSIeh  Lady  when  she  married,  an' 
now  she  feared  'twuz  pride,  an'  Gord  done  punish  her, 
lettin'  her  chile  starve,  but  she  ain'  know  'bout  hit 
'zactly,  an'  ign'ance  he  forgive ;  an'  she  went  on  an' 
talk  'bout  Warster  an'  ole  times  when  she  fust  come 
home  a  bride,  an'  'bout  Marse  Phil  an'  Meh  Lady, 
tell  she  leetle  mo'  breck  my  heart,  an'  de  tears  rain 
down  my  face  on  de  flo'.  She  sut'n'y  talk  beautiful. 
Den  she  gi'  me  de  diamonds,  an'  dee  shine  like  a 
handful  of  lightning-bugs  !  an'  she  tell  me  to  teck 
'em  an'  teck  keer  on  'em,  an'  gi'  'em  to  JSIeh  Lady 
some  time  after  she  gone,  an'  not  le'  nobody  else  have 
'em  ;  an'  would  n'  me  an'  Hannah  teck  good  keer  o' 
her,  an'  stay  wid  her,  and  not  le'  her  wuck  so  hard, 
an'  I  tell  her  we  sut'n'y  would  do  dat.  Den  her  voice 
mos'  gin  out  an'  she  'peared  mighty  tired,  but  hit 
look  like  she  got  some'n  still  on  her  min',  an'  pres'n'y 
she  say  I  mus'  come  close,  she  mighty  tired  :  an'  I  sort 
o'  ben'  todes  her,  an'  she  say  she  wan'  me  after  she 
gone,  as  soon  as  I  kin,  to  get  the  wud  to  Meh  Lady  s 
cousin  whar  wuz  heah  wounded  indurin'  o'  de  war 
dat  she  dead,  an'  dat  ef  he  kin  help  her  chile,  an'  be 


^o  Meh  Lady 

her  pertector,  she  know  he'll  do  it;  an'  I  ain'  to  le' 
Meh  Lady  know  nuttin'  'bout  it,  not  nuttin'  't  all, 
an'  to  tell  him  she  lef '  him  her  blessin'.  Den  she  git 
so  faint,  I  run  an'  call  Hannah,  an'  she  come  runnin' 
an'  gi'  her  some  sperrits,  an'  tell  me  to  teck  de  mule 
an'  go  after  Meh  Lady  toreckly,  an'  so  I  did.  When 
she  got  dyah,  do',  Mistis  done  mos'  speechless  ;  Han- 
nah hed  done  git  her  in  de  bed,  which  wan't  no  trouble, 
she  so  light.  She  know  Meh  Lady,  do',  an'  try 
to  speak  to  her  two  or  t '  ee  times,  but  dee  ain'  meek 
out  much  mo'  'n  Gord  would  bless  her  and  teck  keer 
on  her  ;  an'  she  die  right  easy  jes'  befo'  mornin'.  An' 
Meh  Lady  ax  me  to  pray,  an'  I  did.  She  sut'n'y  die 
peaceful,  an'  she  look  jes'  like  she  smilin'  after  she 
dead;   she  sut'n'y  wuz  ready  to  go. 

'*  Well,  Hannah  and  Meh  Lady  lav  her  out  in  her 
bes'  frock,  an'  she  sho'ly  look  younger'n  I  ever  see 
her  look  sence  Richmon'  fell,  ef  she  ain'  look  young- 
er'n she  look  sence  befo'  de  war;  an'  de  neighbors, 
de  few  dat's  left,  an'  de  black  folks  roun'  come,  an' 
we  bury  her  de  evenin'  after  in  the  gyardin'  right  side 
Marse  Phil,  her  fust-born,  whar  we  know  she  wan'  be; 
an'  her  mammv  she  went  in  de  house  after  dat  to  stay 
at  night  in  the  room  wid  Meh  Lady,  an'  I  sleep  on 
the  front  po'ch   to  teck  keer  de  house.      'Cause  we 


Meh  Lady  5/ 

sut'n'y  wuz  'sturbed  'bout  de  chile ;  she  ain'  sleep  an' 
she  ain'  eat  an'  she  ain'  cry  none,  an'  Hannah  say  dat 
ain'  reasonable,  which  taint,  'cause  womens  dee  cry 
sort  o'  'natchel. 

*'  But  so  'twuz  ;  de  larst  time  she  cry  wuz  dat 
evenin'  she  come  in  Hannah's  house,  an'  fling  herse'f 
on  de  bed,  an'  cry  so  grievous  'cause  dee  gwine  sell 
de  place,  an'  'twould  kill  her  ma.  She  ain'  cry  no 
mo' ! 

"  Well,  after  we  done  bury  JSIistis,  as  I  wuz  sayin', 
we  sut'n'y  wuz  natchelly  tossified  'bout  Meh  Lady. 
Hit  look  like  what  de  doctor  say  wuz  sut'n'y  so,  an' 
she  gwine  right  after  her  ma. 

"  I  try  to  meek  her  ride  de  mule  to  school,  an'  tell 
her  I  ain'  got  no  use  for  him,  I  got  to  thin  de  corn  ; 
but  she  oodn't;  she  say  he  so  po'  she  don'  like  to  gi' 
him  no  mo'  wuck'n  necessary  ;  an'  dat's  de  fact,  he 
wuz  mighty  po'  'bout  den,  cause  de  feed  done  gi' 
out  an'  de  grass  ain'  come  good  yit,  an'  when  mule 
bline  an'  ole  he  mighty  hard  to  git  up  ;  but  he  been 
a  good  mule  in  he  time,  an'  he  a  good  mule  yit. 

"  So  she'd  go  to  school  of  a  mornin',  an'  me  or 
Hannah  one'd  go  to  meet  her  of  a  evenin'  to  tote  her 
books,  'cause  she  hardly  able  to  tote  herse'f  den;  an' 
she  do  right  well  at  school  (de  chil'un  all  love  her)  ; 


52  Meh  Lady 

twuz  when  she  got  home  she  so  sufferin';  den  her 
mind  sort  o'  wrastlin  wid  itself,  an'  she  jes'  set  down 
an'  think  an'  study  an'  look  so  grieved.  Hit  sut  n'y 
did  hut  me  an'  Hannah  to  see  her  settin'  dyah  at  de 
winder  o'  Mistis'  chamber,  leanin'  her  head  on  her 
han'  an'  jes'  lookin'  out  all  de  evenin'  so  lonesome, 
and  she  look  beautiful  too.  Hannah  say  she  grievin' 
herself  to  death. 

"Well,  dat  went  on  for  mo'  'n  six  weeks,  and  de 
chile  jes'  settin'  dyah  ev'y  night  all  by  herse'f  wid  de 
moonlight  shinin'  all  over  her,  meckin'  her  look  so 
pale.  Hannah  she  tell  me  one  night  I  got  to  do 
some'n,  an'  I  sav.  'What  'tis?'  An'  she  say  I  got 
to  git  de  wud  dat  Mistis  say  to  de  Cap'n,  dat  de  chile 
need  a  pertector,  an'  I  say,  '  How  ? '  And  she  say  I 
got  to  write  a  letter.  Den  I  say,  '  I  cyarn'  neither 
read  nor  write,  but  I  can  get  Meh  Lady  to  write  it ; 
an'  she  say,  nor  I  cyarn',  cause  ain'  Mistis  done 
spressify  partic'lar  Meh  Lady  ain'  to  know  nuttin' 
'bout  it?  Den  I  say,  'I  kin  git  somebody  at  de  post- 
office  to  write  it,  an'  I  kin  pay  'em  in  eggs;'  an'  she 
say  she  ain'  gwine  have  no  po'  white  folks  writin' 
an'  spearin'  'bout  Mistis'  business.  Den  I  say,  '  How 
I  gwine  do  den  ?  '  An'  she  studv  a  little  while,  an' 
den  she  say  I  got  to  teck  de  mule  an'  go  fine  him.     I 


Meh  Ladv  5i 

say,  '  Hi !  Good  Gord  !  Hannah,  how  I  gwine  fine 
him  ?  De  Cap'n  live  way  up  yander  in  New  York, 
or  somewhar  or  nuther,  an'  dat's  furrer'n  Lynchbu'g, 
an'  I'll  ride  de  mule  to  death  befo'  I  git  dyah  ;  be- 
sides I  ain'  got  nuttin'  to  feed  him.' 

*'  But  Hannah  got  argiment  to  all  dem  wuds  ;  she 
say  I  got  tongue  in  meh  head,  an'  I  kin  fine  de  way  ; 
an'  as  to  ridin'  de  mule  to  death,  I  kin  git  down  an' 
le'  him  res',  or  I  kin  lead  him.  an'  I  kin  graze  him 
side  de  road  ef  fialks  so  stingy  nobody  oon  le'  me 
graze  him  in  dee  pahsture.  Den  she  study  little 
while,  an'  den  say  she  got  it  now — I  must  go  to 
Richmon'  an'  sell  de  mule,  an'  teck  de  money  an'  git 
on  de  cvars  an'  fine  him.  Hannah,  I  know,  she  gwine 
wuck  it,  'cause  she  al'ays  a  powerful  han'  to  ravel 
anything.  But  it  sut'n'y  did  hut  me  to  part  wid  dat 
mule,  he  sich  a  ambitious  mule  ;  an'  I  tell  Hannah  I 
ain'  done  sidin'  meh  corn  ;  an'  she  say  dat  ain'  meek 
no  diff'unce;  she  gwine  hoe  de  corn  after  I  gone,  an' 
de  chile  grievin'  so  she  feared  she'll  die,  an'  what  good 
sidin'  corn  gwine  do  den  ?  she  grievin'  mo'n  she 
'quainted  wid,  Hannah  say.  So  I  wuz  to  go  to  Rich- 
mon' nex'  mornin"  but  one,  befo'  light,  an'  Hannah 
she  wash  meh  shut  nex'  day,  an'  cook  meh  rations 
while  Meh  Lady  at  school.      Well,  I  knock  off  wuck 


^4  Meh  Lady 

right  early  nex'  evenin'  'bout  two  hours  be-sun,  'cause 
I  wan'  rest  de  mule,  an'  after  grazin"  him  for  a  while 
in  de  yard,  I  put  him  in  he  stall,  an'  gi'  him  a  half- 
peck  o'  meal,  'cause  dat  de  lahst  night  I  gwine  feed 
him  ;  and  soon  as  I  went  in  wid  de  meal  he  swi'ch 
his  tail  an'  hump  hese'f  jes'  like  he  gwine  kick  me; 
dat's  de  way  he  al'ays  do  when  he  got  anything  'g'inst 
you,  'cause  you  sich  a  fool  or  anything,  'cause  mule  got 
aheap  o'  sense  when  you  know  'em.  Well,  I  think  he 
jes'  aggrivated  'cause  he  know  I  gwine  sell  him,  an'  I 
holler  at  him  right  swere  like  I  gwine  cut  him  in  two, 
to  fool  him  ef  I  kin,  an'  meek  him  b'lieve  'tain'  nuttin' 
de  matter. 

"  An'  jes'  den  I  heah  a  horse  steppin'  long  right 
brisk,  an'  I  stop  an'  listen,  an'  de  horse  come  'long  de 
pahf  right  study  an'  up  todes  de  stable.  I  say,  '  Hi  ! 
who  dat  ?  '  an'  when  I  went  to  de  stall  do',  dyah  wuz 
a  gent'man  settin'  on  a  strange  horse  wid  two  white 
foots,  an'  a  beard  on  he  face,  an'  he  hat  pulled 
over  he  eyes  to  keep  de  sun  out'n  em  ;  an'  when  he 
see  me,  he  ride  on  up  to  de  stable,  an'  ax  me  is  Meh 
Lady  at  de  house  an'  how  she  is,  an'  a  whole  parecel 
o'  questions  ;  an'  he  so  p'inted  in  he  quiration  I  ain' 
had  time  to  study  ef  I  ever  see  him  beto',  but  I  don' 
think  I  is.     He  a  mighty  straight,  fine-lookin'  gent'- 


Meh  Lady  55 

man  do',  wid  he  face  right  brown  like  he  been  wuckin', 
an'  I  ain'  able  to  fix  him  no  ways.  Den  he  tell  me 
he  heah  o'  Mistis'  death,  an'  he  jes'  come  'cross  de 
ocean,  an'  he  wan'  see  Meh  Lady  partic'lar  ;  an'  I  tell 
him  she  at  school,  but  it  mos'  time  for  her  come 
back  ;  an'  he  ax  whichaways,  an'  I  show  him  de  pahf, 
an'  he  git  down  an'  ax  me  ef  I  cyarn  feed  he  horse, 
an'  I  tell  him,  '  In  co'se,'  do'  Gord  knows  I  ain'  got 
nuttin'  to  feed  him  wid  'sep'  grahss ;  but  I  ain'  gwine 
le'  him  know  dat ;  so  I  ax  him  to  walk  to  de  house 
an'  teck  a  seat  on  de  po'ch  tell  Meh  Lady  come,  an'  I 
teck  de  horse  an'  cyar  him  in  de  stable  like  I  got  de 
corn-house  full  o'  corn.  An'  when  I  come  out  I 
look,  an'  dyah  he  wuz  gwine  stridin'  'way  cross  de 
fiel'   long  de  pahf  whar  Meh  Lady  comin'. 

"  '  Well,'  I  say,  '  Hi  !  now  he  gwine  to  meet  Meh 
Lady,  an'  I  ain'  know  he  name  nur  what  he  want,' 
an'  I  study  a  little  while  wherr  I  should  go  an'  fine 
Hannah  or  hurry  myse'f  an'  meet  Meh  Lady.  Not  dat 
I  b'lieve  he  gwine  speak  out  de  way  to  Meh  Lady, 
'cause  he  sut'n'y  wuz  quality,  I  see  dat ;  I  know  hit 
time  I  look  at  him  settin'  dyah  so  straight  on  he 
horse,  'mindin'  me  of  Marse  Phil,  an'  he  voice  hit 
sholy  wuz  easy  when  he  name  Meh  Lady'  name 
and  Mistis';   but  I  ain'  know  but  what  he  somebody 


^6  Mch  Lady 

wan'  to  buy  de  place,  an'  I  know  Meh  Lady  ain'  wan' 
talk  'bout  dat,  an'  ain'  wan'  see  strangers  no  way  ;  so 
I  jes'  lip  out  'cross  de  fiel'  th'oo  a  nigher  way  to  hit 
de  pahf  at  dis  ve'y  place  whar  de  gap  wuz,  an'  whar  I 
thought  Meh  Lady  mighty  apt  to  res'  ef  she  tired  or 
grievin'. 

"  An'  I  hurry  long  right  swift  to  git  heah  befo'  de 
white  gent'man  kin  git  heah,  an'  all  de  time  I  tu'nnin' 
in  meh  mine  whar  I  done  heah  anybody  got  voice 
sound  deep  an'  cler  like  dat,  an'  ax  questions  ef  Meh 
Lady  well,  dat  anxious,  an'  I  cyarn'  git  it.  An'  by 
dat  time  I  wuz  done  got  right  to  de  tu'n  in  de  pahf 
dyah,  mos  out  o'  breaf,  an'  jes'  as  I  tu'nned  round 
dat  clump  o'  bushes  I  see  Meh  Lady  settin'  right 
dyah  on  de  'bankment  whar  de  gap  use'  to  be,  wid 
her  books  by  her  side  on  de  groun',  her  hat  off  at  her 
feet,  an'  her  head  leanin'  for'ard  in  her  ban's,  an'  her 
hyah  mos'  tumble  down,  an'  de  sun  jes'  techin'  it 
th'oo  de  bushes  ;  an'  hit  all  come  to  me  in  a  minute, 
jes'  as  cler  as  ef  she  jes'  settin'  on  de  gap  dyah  yistidy 
wid  de  rose-leaves  done  shatter  all  down  on  de  groun' 
by  her,  an'  Cap'n  Wilton  kissin'  her  han'  to  comfort 
her,  an'  axin'  her  oon'  she  le'  him  come  back  some 
time  to  love  her.  An'  I  say,  'Dyah!  'fo  Gord  !  ef  I 
ain'  know  him  soon  as  I  lay  meh  eyes  on  him  !      De 


Meh  Lady  ^7 

pertector  done  come  !  '      Den   I   know  huccome  dat 
mule  act  so  'sponsible. 

"  An'  jes'  den  he  come  walkin'  long  down  de  pahf, 
wid  he  hat  on  de  back  o'  he  head  an'  he  eyes  on  her 
right  farst,  an'  he  face  look  so  tender  hit  look  right 
sweet.  She  think  hit  me,  an'  she  ain'  move  nor  look 
up  tell  he  call  her  name  ;  den  she  look  up  right  swift, 
an'  give  a  sort  o'  cry,  an'  her  face  light  up  like  she 
tu'n't  to  de  sun,  an'  he  retch  out  bofe  he  ban's  to 
her;  an'  I  slip  back  so  he  couldn'  see  me,  an'  come 
long  home  right  quick  to  tell  Hannah. 

"  I  tell  her  I  know  him  soon  as  I  see  him,  but 
she  tell  me  dat's  a  lie,  'cause  ef  I  had  I'd  'a'  come  an' 
tell  her  'bout  hit,  an'  not  gone  down  dyah  interferin' 
wid  white  folks  ;  an'  she  say  I  ain'  nuver  gwine  have 
no  sense  'bout  not  knowin'  folks,  dat  he  couldn' 
fool  her;  an'  I  don'  b'lieve  he  could,  a'tho'  I  ain' 
'low  dat  to  Hannah,  'cause  hit  don'  do  to  'gree  wid 
wimens  too  much ;  dee  git  mighty  sot  up  by  it,  an' 
den  dee  ain'  al'ays  want  it,  nuther.  Well,  she  went 
in  de  house,  an'  dus'  ev'ything,  an'  fix  all  de  funiture 
straight,  an'  set  de  table  for  two,  a  thing  ain'  been 
done  not  sence  Mistis  tooken  sick ;  an'  den  I  see  her 
gwine  'roun'  de  rose-bushes  mighty  busy,  an'  when 
she  sont  me  in  de  dinin'-room,  dyah  a  whole  parecel 


^8  Meh  Lady 

o  flowers  she  done  put  in  a  blue  dish  in  de  middle  o' 
de  table.  An'  she  jes'  as  'sumptions  'bout  dat  thing 
as  ef  'twuz  a  fifty-cents  somebody  done  gi'  her. 
Well,  den  she  come  out,  an'  sich  a  cookin'  as  she 
hed  ;  ef  she  ain'  got  more  skillets  an'  spiders  on  dat 
fire  den  I  been  see  dyah  for  I  don'  know  how  long. 
It  fyah  do  me  good  ! 

"  Well,  pres'n'y  heah  dee  come  walkin'  mighty 
aged-like,  an'  I  think  it  all  right,  an'  dee  went  up  on 
de  po'ch  an'  shake  hands  a  long  time,  an'  den,  meh 
King!  you  know  he  tu'n  roun'  an'  come  down  de 
steps,  an'  she  gone  in  de  house  wid  her  handcher  to 
her  eyes,  cryin'.  I  call  Hannah  right  quick  an'  say, 
'  Hi,  Hannah,  good  Gord  A'mighty  !  what  de  motter 
now  ? '  an'  Hannah  she  look  ;  den  widout  a  wu'd  she 
tun  roun'  an'  walk  right  straight  long  de  pahf  to  de 
house,  an'  went  in  th'oo  de  dinin'-room  an'  into  de 
hall,  an'  dyah  she  fine  de  chile  done  fling  herself  down 
on  her  face  on  de  sofa,  cryin'  like  her  heart  broke  ; 
an'  she  ax  her  what  de  matter,  an'  she  say,  *Nuttin',' 
an'  Hannah  say,  '  What  he  been  sayin'  to  you  ?  '  an' 
she  say,  '  Nuttin' ;  '  an'  Hannah  say,  '  You  done  sen' 
him  'way  }  '  an'  she  say,  '  Yes.'  Den  Hannah  she 
tell  her  what  Mistis  tell  me  de  day  she  die,  an'  she 
sav    she   stop  cryin'   sort  o',   but  she  cotch   hold  de 


Meh  Lady  59 

pillar   right  tight,   an'   she   say    pres'n'y.   ''Please  go 
way,'  an'  Hannah  come  'way  an   come  outdo  s. 

"An'  de  Cap'n,  when  he  come  down  de  steps,  he 
went  to  Meh  Lady'  rose-bush  an'  pull  a  rose  off  it, 
an'  put  't  in  a  little  book  in  he  pocket;  an'  den  he 
come  down  todes  we  house,  an'  he  face  mighty  pale 
an'  'strusted  lookin',  an'  he  sut'n'y  wuz  glad  to  see 
me,  an'  he  laugh'  a  little  bit  at  me  for  lettin'  him  fool 
me ;  but  I  tell  him  he  done  got  so  likely  an'  agree- 
able lookin',  dat  de  reason  I  ain'  know  him.  An'  he 
ax  me  to  git  he  horse,  an'  jes'  den  Hannah  come  out 
de  house,  an'  she  ax  him  whar  he  gwine  ;  an'  he  'spon' 
dat  he  gwine  home,  an'  he  don'  reckon  he'll  ever  see 
us  no  mo';  an'  he  say  he  thought  when  he  come  may- 
be 'twould  be  diff'unt,  an'  he  had  hoped  maybe  he'd 
'a'  been  able  to  prove  to  Meh  Lady  somen  he  wan' 
prove,  an'  get  her  to  le'  him  teck  keer  o'  her  an'  we 
all ;  dat's  what  he  come  ten  thousand  miles  fur,  he 
say  ;  but  she  got  somen  on  her  mine,  he  say,  she 
cyarn'  git  over,  an'  now  he  got  to  go  'way,  an'  he  say 
he  want  us  to  teck  keer  on  her,  an'  stay  wid  her  al'ays. 
and  he  gwine  meek  it  right,  an'  he  gwine  lef '  he  name 
in  Richmon'  wid  a  gent'man,  an'  gi'  me  he  'dress,  an' 
I  mus'  come  up  dyah  ev'y  month  an'  git  what  he 
gwine  lef  dyah,  an'  report  how  we  all  is  ;   an'  he  say 


6o  Meh  Ladv 

he  ain'  got  nuttin"  to  do  now  but  to  try  an'  reward 
us  all  fur  all  our  kindness  to  him,  an'  keep  us  easy, 
but  he  wan'  nuver  comin'  back,  he  guess,  'cause  he 
got  no  mo'  hope  now  he  know  Meh  Lady  got  dat  on 
her  mine  he  cyarn'  git  over.  An'  he  look  down  in  de 
gyardin  todes  the  graveyard  when  he  say  dat,  an'  he 
voice  sort  o'  broke.  Hannah  she  heah  him  th'oo 
right  study,  an'  he  face  look  mighty  sorrowful,  an'  he 
voice  done  mos'  gin  out  when  he  say  Meh  Lady  got 
that  on  her  mine  he  cyarn'  git  over. 

"Den  Hannah  she  upped  an'  tole  him  he  sut'n'y 
ain'  got  much  sense  ef  he  come  all  dat  way  he  say,  an' 
gwine  'way  widout  Meh  Lady  ;  dat  de  chile  been  dat 
pesterin'  herse'f  sence  her  ma  die  she  ain'  know  what 
she  wan'  mos',  an'  got  on  her  mine  ;  an'  ef  he  ain'  got 
de  dictationment  to  meek  her  know,  he  better  go  long 
back  whar  he  come  fum,  an'  he  better  ain'  nuver  set 
he  foot  heah ;  an'  she  say  he  sut'n'y  done  gone  back 
sence  he  driv  dem  Yankees  out  de  do'  wid  he  s'o'de, 
an'  settin'  dyah  on  he  nick-tail  horse  at  de  gate  so 
study,  an'  she  say  ef  twuz  dat  man  he'd  be  married 
dis  evenin'.  Oh  !  she  was  real  savigrous  to  him, 
'cause  she  sut'n'y  wuz  outdone ;  an'  she  tell  him  what 
Mistis  tell  me  de  day  she  'ceasted,  ev'y  wud  jes  like 
I   tell  you  settin'  heah,  an'  she  say,  Now  he  can  go 


Meh  Ladv  6i 

'long,  'cause  ef  he  ain'  gwine  be  pertector  to  de  chile 
de  plenty  mo'  sufferin'  to  be,  dat  dee  pesterin'  her  all 
de  time,  an'  she  jes'  oon'  have  nuttin'  't  all  to  do  wid 
'em,  dats  all.  Wid  dat  she  tu'n  'roun'  an'  gone  long 
in  her  house  like  she  ain'  noticin'  him,  an'  he,  suh  ! 
he  look  like  day  done  broke  on  'im.  I  see  darkness 
roll  off  him,  an'  he  tun  roun'  an'  stride  long  back  to 
de  house,  an'  went  up  de  steps  thee  at  a  time. 

'*An'  dee  say  when  he  went  in,  de  chile  was  dyah 
on  de  sofa  still  wid  her  head  in  de  pillow  cryin',  'cause 
she  sut'n'y  did  keer  for  him  all  de  time,  an'  ever  sence 
he  open  he  eyes  an'  look  at  her  so  cu'yus,  settin'  dyah 
by  him  fannin'  him  all  night  to  keep  him  fum  dyin', 
when  he  layin'  dyah  wounded  in  de  war.  An'  de  on'v 
thing  is  she  ain'  been  able  to  get  her  premission  to 
marry  him  cause  he  wuz  fightin'  g'inst  we  all,  an' 
'cause  she  got  t  in  her  mine  dat  Mistis  don'  wan'  her 
to  marry  him  for  dat  recount.  An'  now  he  gone  she 
layin'  dyah  in  de  gre't  hall  cryin'  on  de  sofa  to  herse'f, 
so  she  ain'  heah  him  come  up  de  steps,  tell  he  went 
up  to  her,  and  kneel  down  by  her,  an'  put  he  arm 
'roun'  her  and  talk  to  her  lovin'. 

"Hannah  she  went  in  th'oo  de  chamber  pres'n'y  to 
peep  an'  see  ef  he  got  any  sense  yit,  an'  when  she 
come  back  she  ain'  say  much,  but  she  sont  me  to  de 


62  Meh  Ladj^ 

spring,  an'  set  to  cookin'  ag'in  mighty  induschus,  an' 
she  say  he  tryin'  to  swade  de  chile  to  marry  him  to- 
morrow. She  oon'  tell  me  nuttin'  mo'  'cep'  dat  de 
chile  seem  mighty  peaceable,  an'  she  don'  know  wherr 
she'll  marry  him  toreckly  or  not,  'cause  she  heah  her 
say  she  ain'  gwine  marry  him  ai  all,  an'  she  cyarn' 
marry  him  to-morrow  'cause  she  got  her  school,  an' 
she  ain'  got  no  dress  ;  but  she  place  heap  o'  'pendence 
in  him,  Hannah  say,  an'  he  gone  on  talkin'  mightv 
sensible,  like  he  gwine  marry  her  wherr  or  no,  an'  he 
dat  protectin'  he  done  got  her  head  on  he  shoulder  an' 
talkin'  to  her  jes'  as  'fectionate  as  ef  she  b'longst  to 
him  an' — she  ain'  say  he  kiss  her,  but  I  done  notice 
partic'lar  she  ain'  say  he  ain'  ;  an'  she  say  de  chile 
sut'n'y  is  might'  satisfied,  an'  dat  all  she  gwine  recite, 
an'  I  better  go  'long  an'  feed  white-folk's  horse  stid 
o'  interferin'  long  dee  business  ;  an'  so  I  did,  an'  I  gi' 
him  de  larst  half-peck  o'  meal  Hannah  got  in  de  barrel. 

"  An'  when  I  come  back  to  de  house,  Hannah  done 
cyar  in  de  supper  an'  waitin'  on  de  table,  an'  dee  set- 
tin'  opposite  one  nurr  talkin'.  an'  she  po'in  out  he 
tea,  an'  he  tellin'  her  things  to  make  her  pleased  an' 
look  pretty,  'cross  Hannah'  flowers  in  de  blue  bowl 
twix'  'em.      Hit  meek  me  feel  right  young. 

'^  Well,    after   supper   dee   come    out   an'   went    to 


Meh  Lady  6^ 

walk  'bout  de  yard,  an'  pres'n'y  dee  stop  at  dat  red 
rose-bush,  and  I  see  him  teck  out  he  pocket-book  an' 
teck  somen  out  it,  and  she  say  somen,  an'  he  put  he 
arm — ne'm'  mine,  ef  Hannah  ain'  say  he  kiss  her,  I 
know — 'cause  de  moon  come  out  a  little  piece  right 
den  an'  res'  on  em,  an'  she  sut'n'y  look  beautiful 
wid  her  face  sort  o'  tunned  up  to  him,  smilin'. 

"You  mine,  do',  she  keep  on  tellin'  him  she  ain' 
promise  to  marry  him,  an'  of  co'se  she  cyarn'  marry 
him  to-morrow  like  he  say  ;  she  ain'  nuver  move  fum 
dat.  But  dat  ain'  'sturb  he  mine  now;  he  keep  on 
laughin'  study.  Tell,  'bout  right  smart  while  after 
supper,  he  come  out  an'  ax  me  cyarn'  I  git  he  horse. 
I  say,  'Hi!  what  de  matter.?  Whar  you  gwine  ?  I 
done  feed  yo'  horse.' 

"  He  laugh  real  hearty,  an'  say  he  gwine  to  de 
Co'te  House,  an'  he  wan'  me  to  go  wid  him  ;  don'  I 
think  de  mule  kin  stan'  it  ?  an'  her  mammy  will  teck 
keer  Meh  Lady. 

"  I  tell  him,  '  In  cose,  de  mule  kin  stan'  it.' 

"  So  in  'bout  a  hour  we  wuz  on  de  road,  an'  de 
last  thing  Meh  Lady  say  wuz  she  cyarn'  marry  him  ; 
but  he  come  out  de  house  laughin',  an'  he  sut'n'y 
wuz  happy,  an'  he  ax  me  all  sort  o'  questions  'bout 
Meh  Lady,  an'  Marse  Phil,  an'  de  ole  times. 


64  Meh  Lady 

"  We  went  by  de  preacher's  an'  wake  him  up  befo' 
day,  an'  he  say  he'll  drive  up  dyah  after  breakfast; 
an'  den  we  went  on  'cross  to  de  Co'te  House,  an'  alto- 
gether 'twuz  about  twenty-five  miles,  an'  hit  sut'n'y 
did  push  ole  George  good,  'cause  de  Cun'l  wuz  a 
hard  rider  like  all  we  all  white  folks  ;  he  come  mighty 
nigh  givin'  out,  I  tell  you. 

"We  got  dyah  befo'  breakfast,  an'  wash'  up,  an' 
pres'n'y  de  cluck.  Air.  Taylor,  come,  an'  de  Cun'l 
went  over  to  de  office.  In  a  minute  he  call  me,  an'  I 
went  over,  an'  soon  as  I  git  in  de  do'  I  see  he  mighty 
pestered.  He  say,  *  Heah,  Billy,  you  know  you'  young 
mistis'  age,  don't  vou  ?      I  want  you  to  prove  it.' 

"  '  Hi !  yes,  suh,  co'se  I  knows  it,'  I  says.  *  Want  I 
right  dyah  when  she  born .?  Mistis  got  she  an' 
Marse  Phil  bofe  set  down  in  de  book  at  home.' 

"*  Well,  jes' meek  oath  to  it,'  says  he,  easy  like, 
'She's  near  twenty-three,  ain't  she  ? ' 

"  '  Well,  'fo'  Gord  !  Marster,  I  don'  know  'bout 
dat,'  says  I.  'You  know  mo'  'bout  dat  'n  I  does,' 
I  says,  '  'cause  you  can  read.  I  know  her  age,'  I  says, 
'  'cause  I  right  dyah  when  she  born;  but  how  ole  she 
is,  I  don'  know,'  I  says. 

"'Cyarn'  you  swear  she's  twenty-one.?'  says  he, 
right  impatient. 


Meh  Lady  63 

'  *  Well,  nor,  suh,  dat  I  cyarn',  '  I  says. 

*'  Well,  he  sut'n'y  looked  aggrivated,  but  he  ain* 
say  nuttin',  he  jes'  tun  to  Mr.  Taylor  an'  say: 

"  *  Kin  I  get  a  fresh  horse  heah,  suh  ?  I  kin  ride 
home  an'  get  de  proof  an'  be  back  heah  in  fiv^e  hours, 
ef  I  can  get  a  fresh  horse;  I'll  buy  him  and  pay  well 
for  him,  too.' 

"  *  It's  forty  miles  dyah  and  back,'  says  Mr.  Taylor. 

"  '  I  kin  do  it ;  I'll  be  back  heah  at  half-past  twelve 
o'clock  sharp,'  says  de  Cun'l,  puttin'  up  he  watch  an' 
pullin'  on  he  gloves  an'  tu'nnin'  to  de  do'. 

"  Well,  he  look  so  sure  o'  what  he  kin  do,  I  feel 
like  I  'bleeged  to  help  him,  an'  I  say  : 

"  '  I  ain't  know  wherr  Meh  Lady  twenty-th'ee  or 
twenty-one,  'cause  I  ain'  got  no  larnin',  but  I  know 
she  born  on  a  Sunday  de  thrashin'-wheat  time  two 
year  after  Marse  Phil  wuz  born,  whar  I  cyar'  in  dese 
ahms  on  de  horse  when  he  wuz  a  baby,  an'  whar  went 
in  de  ahmy,  an'  got  kilt  leadin'  he  bat'ry  in  de  battle 
cross  de  oat-fiel'  down  todes  Williamsbu'g,  an'  de 
gener'l  say  he'd  ruther  been  him  den  President  de 
Confederate  States,  an'  he's  'sleep  by  he  ma  in  de  ole 
gyardin  at  home  now ;  I  bury  him  dyah,  an'  hit's 
"■'Cun'l"  on  he  tombstone  dyah  now.' 

"  De  Cun'l  tun  roun'  an'  look  at  Mr.  Taylor,  an' 


6(5  Meh  Ladv 

Mr.  Taylor  look  out  de  winder  ('cause  he  know  'twuz 
so.  'cause  he  wuz  in  Marse  Phil'  bat'ry ). 

"'You  needn'  teck  vou'  ride,'  says  he,  sort  o' 
whisperin'.  An'  de  Cun'l  pick  up  a  pen  an'  write  a 
little  while,  an'  den  he  read  it,  an'  he  had  done  write 
jes'  what  I  say,  wud  for  wud  ;  an'  Mr.  Taylor  meek  me 
kiss  de  book,  'cause  'tvv'uz  true,  an'  he  say  he  gwine 
spread  it  in  de  '  Reecord  '  jes'  so.  for  all  de  wull  to  see. 

"Den  we  come  on  home,  I  ridin'  a  horse  de  Cun'l 
done  hire  to  rest  de  mule,  an'  I  mos'  tired  as  he,  but 
de  Cun'l  he  ridin'  jes'  as  fresh  as  ef  he  jes'  start;  an' 
he  brung  me  a  nigh  way  whar  he  learnt  in  de  war,  he 
say,  when  he  used  to  slip  th'oo  de  lines  an"  come  at 
night  forty  miles  jes'  to  look  at  de  house  an'  see  de 
light  shine  in  Meh  Ladv'  winder,  while  I  studyin'. 

"  De  preacher  an'  he  wife  wuz  dyah  when  we  git 
home  ;  but  you  know  Meh  Lady  ain'  satisfied  in  her 
mine  yit?  She  say  she  do  love  him,  but  she  don' 
know  wherr  she  ought  to  marry  him,  'cause  she  ain' 
got  nobodv  to  'vise  her.  But  he  say  he  gwine  be  her 
'viser  from  dis  time,  an'  he  lead  her  to  de  do'  an  kiss 
her;  an'  she  went  to  git  ready,  an'  de  turr  lady  wid 
her,  an'  her  mammv  wait  on  her,  while  I  wait  on  de 
Cun'l,  an'  be  he  bodv-servant,  an'  git  he  warm  water 
to  shave,  an'  he  cut  off  all  he  beard  'sep"  he  mustache, 


Meh  Lady  6j 

'cause  Meh  Lady  jes'  say  de  man  she  knew  didn'  hed 
no  beard  on  he  face.  An'  Hannah  she  sut'n'v  wiiz 
comical,  she  ironin"  an'  sewin'  dyah  so  induschus  she 
oon'  le"  me  come  in  meh  own  house. 

"  Well,  pres'n'y  we  wuz  readv,  an'  we  come  out  in 
de  hall,  an'  de  Cun'l  went  in  de  parlor  whar  dee  wuz 
gwine  be  married,  an'  de  preacher  he  wuz  in  dyah, 
an'  dee  chattin'  while  we  waitin'  fur  Meh  Lady  :  an'  I 
jes'  slip  out  an'  got  up  in  de  j'ice  an'  git  out  dem  lit- 
tle rocks  whar  Aiistis  gin'  me  an'  blow  de  dust  off  em 
good,  and  good  Gord  !  ef  dee  didn'  shine  !  I  put  em 
in  meh  pocket  an'  put  on  meh  clean  shu't  an'  come 
'long  back  to  de  house.  Hit  right  late  now,  todes 
evenin',  an'  de  sun  wuz  shinin'  all  'cross  de  yard  an' 
th'oo  de  house,  an'  de  Cun'l  he  so  impatient  he  cyarn' 
set  still,  he  jes'  champin'  he  bit  ;  so  he  git  up  an' 
walk  'bout  in  de  hall,  an'  he  sut'n'y  look  handsome  an' 
young,  jes'  like  he  did  dat  day  he  stand  dyah  wid  he 
cap  in  he  hand,  an'  Meh  Lady  say  she  ain'  claim  no  kin 
wid  him,  an'  he  say  he  cyarn'  intrude  on  ladies,  an' 
back  out  de  front  do'  so  gran',  wid  he  head  straight 
up,  an'  ride  to  git  her  de  letter,  an'  now  he  walkin'  in 
de  hall  waitin'  to  marrv  her.  An'  all  on  a  sudden, 
Hannah  fling  de  do'  wide  open,  an'  Meh  Lady  walked 
out ! 


68  Melt  Lady 

"  Gord  !   ef  I  didn'  think  "twuz  a  angel. 

"  She  Stan'  dvah  jes'  white  as  snow  fum  her  head  to 
wav  back  down  on  de  flo'  behine  her,  an'  her  veil  done 
fall  roun'  her  like  white  mist,  an'  she  had  some  roses 
in  her  han'.  Ef  it  didn'  look  like  de  sun  done  come 
th'oo  de  chamber  do'  wid  her,  an'  blaze  all  over  de 
styars,  an'  de  Cun'l  he  look  like  she  bline  him.  An' 
'twuz  Hannah  an'  she,  while  we  wuz  "way  dat  day. 
done  fine  Mistis'  weddin'  dress  an"  veil  an'  all,  down 
to  de  fan  an'  little  slippers  "bout  big  as  two  little 
white  ears  o"  pop-corn  ;  an"  de  dress  had  sort  o"  cob- 
webs all  over  it,  whar  Hannah  say  was  lace,  an'  hit  jes' 
fit  Meh  Lady  like  Gord  put  it  dvah  in  de  trunk  for  her. 

"  Well,  when  de  Cunl  done  tell  her  how  beautiful 
she  is,  an"  done  meek  her  walk  "bout  de  hall  showin' 
her  train,  an"  she  lookin'  over  her  shoulder  at  it  an' 
den  at  de  Cunl  to  see  ef  he  proud  on  her,  he  gin  her 
he  arm  ;  an"  jes'  den  I  walk  up  befo'  her  an'  teck  dem 
things  out  meh  pocket,  an'  de  Cunl  drap  her  arm  an' 
Stan'  back,  an"  I  put  em  roun'  her  thote  an'  on  her  > 
arms,  an"  gin  her  de  res',  an'  Hannah  put  "em  on  her 
ears,  an'  dee  shine  li'ice  stars,  but  her  face  shine  wus'n 
dem,  an'  she  leetle  mo'  put  bofe  arms  roun'  meh  neck, 
wld  her  eves  jes'  runnin"  over.  An"  den  de  Cunl  gi' 
her  he  arm,  an'  dee  went  in  de  parlor,  an'  Hannah  an' 


Meh  Lady  69 

me  behine  'em.  An'  dyah,  facin  Mistis'  picture  an 
Marse  Phil's  (tooken  when  he  wuz  a  little  boy), 
lookin'  down  at  'em  bofe,  dee  wuz  married. 

"An'  when  de  preacher  git  to  dat  part  whar  ax 
who  gin  dis  woman  to  de  man  to  be  he  wife,  he  sort 
o'  wait  an'  he  eye  sort  o'  rove  to  me  discomfused  like 
he  ax  me  ef  I  know  ;  an'  I  don'  know  huccome  'twuz, 
but  I  think  'bout  Marse  Jeems  an'  Mistis  when  he 
ax  me  dat,  an'  'bout  Marse  Phil,  whar  all  dead,  an' 
all  de  scufflin'  we  done  been  th'oo,  an'  how  de  chile 
ain'  got  nobody  to  teck  her  part  now  'sep' jes'  me; 
an'  now,  when  he  wait  an"  look  at  me  dat  way,  an"  ax 
me  dat,  I  'bleeged  to  speak  up  : — I  jes'  step  for'ard 
an'  say  : 

" '  Ole  Billy.' 

*'  An'  jes'  den  de  sun  crawl  roun'  de  winder  shetter 
an'  res'  on  her  like  it  pourin'  light  all  over  her. 

"An'  dat  night  when  de  preacher  was  gone  wid 
he  wife,  an'  Hannah  done  drapt  off  to  sleep,  I  wuz 
settin"  in  de  do'  wid  meh  pipe,  an'  I  heah  'em  settin' 
dyah  on  de  front  steps,  dee  voice  soun'in'  low  like 
bees,  an'  de  moon  sort  o'  meltin'  over  de  yard,  an'  I 
sort  o'  got  to  studvin',  an'  hit  'pear  like  de  plantation 
'live  once  mo',  an'  de  ain'  no  mo'  scufflin',  an'  de  ole 
times  done  come  back  ag'in,  an'  I  heah  me  kerridge- 


JO  Meh  Ladv 

horses  stompin'   in   de  stalls,  an'  de  place  all  cleared 

up   ag'in,  an'  fence  all  roun'  de  pahsture,  an'  I  smell 

de  wet  clover-blossoms   right  good,  an'  Marse   Phil 

an'  JSIeh  Lady  done  come  back,  an'  runnin'  all  roun' 

me,  climbin'  up  on  meh  knees,  callin'  me  '  Unc'  Billy,' 

an'  pesterin'  me   to  go  fishin',  while  somehow,   Meh 

Lady  an'  de  Cun'l,  settin'  dyah  on  de  steps  wid  dee 

voice  hummin'  low  like  water  runnin'  in  de  dark — 
v.-  -;:-  *  *  *  ^  *  * 

"An'  dat  Phil,  suh," — he  broke  off,  rising  from 
the  ground  on  which  we  had  been  seated  for  some 
time,  "dat  Phil,  suh,  he  mo'  like  Marse  Phil'n  he 
like  he  pa;  an'  little  Billy — he  ain'  so  ole,  but  he 
ain'  fur  behines  him." 

"Billy,"  I  said;    "he's  named  after — ?" 
"Go  'way,  Marster,"  he  said  deprecatingly,  "who 
gwine  name  gent'man  after  a  ole  nigger?" 


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COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

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CHAPEL  HILL 

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